Actividad antibacteriana in vitro de propóleos chilenos sobre Helicobacter pylori / In vitro antibacterial activity of Chilean propolis against Helicobacter pylori

Introduction: Propolis is a natural product derived from beekeeping. It has anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, immune-stimulant and antibacterial properties on grampositive and gramnegative bacteria. However, little is known regarding its activity on Helicobacter pylori. This bacteria colonizes about half of the world’s population and is associated with chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory activity of 22 propolis extracts from nine of the 11 beekeeping Chilean regions on 10 strains of H. pylori isolated from gastric mucosa. Methods: The antibacterial activity of the extracts was determined using the well diffusion method and diffusion disks. Results: 100% of the extracts were active on the tested strains, showing inhibition halos equal to or greater than 15 mm by both methods. Conclusions: our results show an effective anti H. pylori activity of propolis. However, additional microbiological studies are needed before a potential clinical utility of these natural products is warranted.

Introducción: El propóleos es un producto natural derivado de la apicultura que tiene propiedades anestésicas, anti-inflamatorias, inmuno-estimulantes y antibacterianas. Ejerce su acción sobre distintas bacterias grampositivas y gramnegativas. Sin embargo, es muy poco lo que se sabe en relación a su actividad sobre H. pylori, bacteria asociada con gastritis crónica, úlcera gastro-duodenal y cáncer gástrico y que coloniza a alrededor de la mitad de la población mundial. Objetivo: Evaluar la actividad inhibitoria de 22 extractos de propóleos de orígenes botánicos diferentes, provenientes de nueve de las once zonas mielíferas de Chile, en la época de otoño, sobre 10 cepas de H. pylori aisladas de mucosa gástrica. Metodología: La actividad antibacteriana de los extractos se determinó a través del método de difusión en pocillos y de difusión en discos. Resultados: 100% de los extractos fueron activos sobre las cepas ensayadas, observándose halos de inhibición iguales o mayores a 15 mm en ambos métodos. Conclusiones: Los datos obtenidos in vitro en el presente estudio muestran una efectiva actividad anti H. pylori de los propóleos chilenos, siendo necesario estudios microbiológicos y farmacológicos adicionales para avanzar en una posible utilidad clínica de estos productos naturales.

Propolis: Biological and pharmacological activies. Therapeutic uses of this bee-product

This review aims to present an update of propolis properties, with emphasis on Brazilian samples. It also brings attention to points, such as standardization protocols and scientific evidence, that needed to be further investigated in order to broaden the potential therapeutic use of this bee product. Propolis became a traditional remedy in folk medicine. In recent decades a great interest has arisen in more knowledge a out its composition and therapeutic activities. Its composition is very complex, varying with the geographic region, with more than 300 constituents having been identified to date. The biological activity of propolis is associated mainly with phenolic compounds such as flavonoids and derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acids. In recent years, Brazilian propolis became the subject of increasing interest, due to its unusual chemical composition when compared with samples from other contries. Several compounds isolated presented a variety of biological activities, such as microbicidal, antioxidant and antitumoral. Although there is a huge amount of information about the chemistry and biological activity of propolis, its application in human and veterinary therapies has hardly changed. Propolis is used both in human and veterinary clinics in Eastern Europe countries, Cuba and in Uruguay. Most of the therapeutic effect of this resin is associated with microbicidal properties and the ability to scavenge free radicals. A multidisciplinary study correlating chemical composition, basic plant sources in different geographic regions, as well as and biological and pharmacological activities, open the possibility of a classification of a limited number of "chemical types" of propolis which will be possible only with the combined effort of the national and international scientific communities.

The antibacterial activity of propolis produced by Apis mellifera L. and brazilian stingless bees

This study investigated the antibacterial activity of propolis produced by A. mellifera and Brazilian stingless bees, called "meliponíneos". Susceptibility tests to ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEP) were performed using bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus sp, and Escherichia coli) isolated from human infections. Dilution of EEP in agar (per cent v/v) was used for determination of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). The stingless bee species (and common names) were: Nannotrigona testaceicornis ("Irai"), Tetragonisca angustula ("Jataí"), Trigona spinipes ("Arapuá"), Scaptotrigona sp ("Tiúba"), Partamona sp ("Cupira"), Melipona scutellaris ("Uruçu"), Melipona sp ("Manduri"), and Melipona mandaçaia ("Mandaçaia"). EEP inhibitory efficiencies according to bacterial strains were: S. aureus - "Cupira" > "Manduri" = A. mellifera > "Uruçu" > "Mandaçaia" > "Iraí" > "Tiúba" > "Jataí" > "Arapuá" = Ethanol; Enterococcus sp - "Cupira" > "Manduri" > A. mellifera > "Mandaçaia" > "Uruçu" > "Tiúba" > "Jataí" > "Arapuá" = Ethanol; E. coli - "Manduri" > "Jataí" > Ethanol > A.mellifera > "Uruçu" > "Cupira" > "Iraí". Propolis produced by "Cupira" and "Manduri" bees showed higher antibacterial activity than A. mellifera.

Caracterización de propóleos venezolanos / Characterization of venezuelan propolis

El propóleos es un producto de la colmena elaborado por las abejas a partir de exudados, gomas y resinas de las plantas, que cumple funciones antisépticas, de aislamiento térmico y de soporte como material de construcción. El hombre ha utilizado el propóleos como medicamento desde la antiguedad y si bien actualmente existen preparados artesanales a base de propóleos en el mercado nacional, su industrialización no ha sido posible porque no se dispone de los estándares necesarios para su control de calidad. En este trabajo se presentan escaleas hedónicas para la evaluación sensorial de los propóleos junto con el análisis químico de 38 muestras venezolanas. La comparación de los perfiles cromatográficos de los propóleos venezolanos con propóleos españoles, por HPLC-UV y por GC-MS, mostró una notable diferencia entre el contenido de flavonoides, derivados de ácidos fenólicos y sustancias altamente lipófilas aún no identificadas