Investigation of chemical composition and antioxidant activity of propolis extracts

Abstract

Propolis – natural product, produced by bees. To make this resinous material, bees collect substances from various trees and plants sticky buds and cracks of bark. They take substances for propolis from plant secretions, wounds or by cutting fragments of vegetative tissues (lipophilic materials on leaves and leaf buds, gums, resins, latices, etc.). All collected materials are enriched with saliva and beeswax. The insects secrete beeswax, while the other constituents of propolis are obtained from plants. The biological activity of propolis depends on plant-derived substances. Although propolis is obviously an animal product, a considerable portion of its components, upon which rest its biological activity, are plant derived [...]. Propolis has a long history of being used in folk medicine dating back to at least 300 BC [...]. It has been reported to have various biological activities such as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiinflammatory, local anaesthetic, immunostimulatory, and antioxidant. For this reason, propolis is extensively used in food and beverages to improve health. It has a wide adaptation for today’s medicine - otology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, stomatology, surgery, urology, gynaecology. Propolis helps to prevent diseases such as inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, cancer. [...].