A comparison of the activities of Greek and Turkish propolis against Paenibacillus larvae

Abstract

SummaryPropolis has a long history of use in traditional medicine dating back to at least 300 BC, and has been reported to have a broad spectrum of biological activities. Since most studies have to date focused on medical uses of propolis, its antimicrobial activity against honey bee diseases has been little studied. One of the aims of this study was therefore to investigate the potential use of propolis in honey bee health, especially against American foulbrood, which causes much damage in the beekeeping industry. The second aim was to reveal the different antimicrobial activities of propolis collected from different geographical areas from the neighbouring countries of Greece and Turkey. Propolis samples collected from several regions of Greece and Turkey were investigated for their in vitro antimicrobial activities against Paenibacillus larvae.Eighteen ethanol extracts of propolis (EEP), (nine from Greece and nine from Turkey) were tested for antimicrobial activities against ten P. larvae isolates. The results showed that all P. larvae strains were susceptible to propolis extracts from both Greece and Turkey Furthermore 50 % concentrations of EEP caused significantly wider inhibition zones (P≤0.05) around the discs. Comparisons of the content, and locations and botanical origins of EEPs from Greece and Turkey showed that the kind of vegetation is more important factor than geographic location for their antimicrobial activity. This is the first comprehensive study concerning the antimicrobial activity of propolis samples collected from a wide area around the Aegean Sea. Comparación de la actividad de propóleos de Turquía y Grecia frente a Paenibacillus larvae ResumenEl propóleos tiene una larga historia de uso en la medicina tradicional que se remonta por lo menos a 300 años antes de Cristo, y se ha descrito que tienen un amplio espectro de actividades biológicas. Como la mayoría de los estudios hasta la fecha se han centrado en los usos médicos de los propóleos, su actividad antimicrobiana frente a enfermedades de las abejas de la miel ha sido poco estudiada. Por lo tanto, uno de los objetivos de este estudio fue investigar el posible uso de los propóleos en la salud de la abeja de la miel, especialmente contra la loque americana, que causa mucho daño en la industria de la apicultura. El segundo objetivo era revelar las diferentes actividades antimicrobianas de propóleos recolectados de diferentes áreas geográficas de los países vecinos de Grecia y Turquía. Se investigó la actividad antimicrobiana in vitro de muestras de propóleos recolectados en varias regiones de Grecia y Turquía contra Paenibacillus larvae. Se probó la actividad antimicrobiana de dieciocho extractos de propóleos en etanol (EEP), (nueve de Grecia y nueve de Turquía) contra diez aislamientos de P. larvae. Los resultados mostraron que todas las cepas de P. larvae fueron susceptibles a los extractos de propóleos tanto de Grecia como de Turquía. Además concentraciones al 50% de EEP causaron zonas de inhibición significativamente más amplias (p ...

Chemical Variability and Pharmacological Potential of Propolis as a Source for the Development of New Pharmaceutical Products

“…Numerous studies confirm the antimicrobial activity of propolis of different types against a wide spectrum of microorganisms [ 16 , 26 , 43 , 44 , 66 ]. In fact, the antibacterial activity of propolis is connected with flavonoids and terpenes [ 26 , 37 , 66 ]. For example, flavon apigenin and sesquiterpene alcohol tt -farnesol can inhibit the plaque formation process.…”

“…The list of biological activities of propolis is very wide. Among them are antiseptic, antibacterial, antimycotic, antiviral, antiprotozoal, antioxidative, spasmolytic, choleric, astringent, anti-inflammatory, anesthetic, antitumor, immunostimulating, cytostatic, hepatoprotective, and other activities [ 4 , 14 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

“…[ 19 ]. Some authors divide propolis from Europe into such subtypes: European brown poplar propolis, Mediterranean propolis, Irish propolis, Czech propolis, German propolis, Ukrainian propolis, Polish propolis, Greek propolis, Croatian Mediterranean propolis, and Croatian continental propolis, etc., according to the country or even its part in which propolis was collected [ 4 , 19 , 26 , 37 , 42 , 43 , 44 ]. However, it is worth noting that El-Guendouz et al, under the term Mediterranean propolis, understand propolis from all the countries surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea (Southern Europe Coast, Levantine Coast, and Northern African Coast) [ 45 ].…”

“…The above-mentioned information points out that the chemical composition of extracts prepared from propolis will mainly depend on the plant sources used by bees for forming propolis, as well as species of bees [ 19 , 30 , 37 , 58 ]. Some authors connect the chemical composition of propolis with the vegetation of the locality [ 19 , 26 , 34 , 37 , 58 ]. Nevertheless, it can be supposed that the vegetation is constant to a certain extent for the particular area, and actually, the locality can be regarded as the principal factor that mainly determines the chemical composition of propolis.…”

Insight on Propolis from Mediterranean Countries: Chemical Composition, Biological Activities and Application Fields

“…The results of this study revealed a strong susceptibility of the P. larvae to the tested propolis. [170] Besides, it was revealed that volatiles from Greek propolis also possess antimicrobial activity against human pathogenic agents. [130]…”