Polyphenols as Key Players for the Antileukaemic Effects of Propolis

Abstract

Propolis (a bee product) which has a long history of medicinal use by humans has attracted a great deal of research interest in the recent time; this is due to its widely reported biological activities such as antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic properties. Crude form of propolis and its phenolic contents have both been reported to exhibit antileukaemic effects in various leukaemia cell lines. The ability of the polyphenols found in propolis to arrest cell cycle and induce apoptosis and differentiation in addition to inhibition of cell growth and proliferation makes them promising antileukaemic agents, and hence, they are believed to be a key to the antileukaemic effects of propolis in different types of leukaemia. This paper reviews the molecular bases of antileukaemic activity of both crude propolis and individual polyphenols on various leukaemia cell lines, and it indicates that propolis has the potential to be used in both treatment and prevention of leukaemia. This however needs further evaluation by in vitro, in vivo, and epidemiological studies as well as clinical trials.

Ameliorative effects of ethanolic constituents of Bangladeshi propolis against tetracycline‐induced hepatic and renal toxicity in rats

“…Serum urea and uric acids levels were significantly higher and the creatinine concentration was non-significantly higher in the rats administered with TTC alone, indicating TTCinduced nephrotoxicity. The findings on kidney markers are in accord with results of earlier studies (Abdel-Daim & Ghazy, 2015;Shabana et al, 2012). The exact mechanism of TTC-induced kidney injury is still unexplained.…”

“…Since ancient times, propolis has been popular as a traditional medicine, especially in Asia, Eastern Europe and South America, used for its reported broad spectrum of biological activities (Burdock, , Schmidt et al, ). The natural mastic and its extracts have numerous applications in the treatment of various diseases due to its described antimicrobial, antiseptic, antimycotic, antioxidative, antitumor, anti‐inflammatory, cytotoxic, anti‐ulcer, and immunomodulatory activities as well as its cardioprotective properties (Abubakar, Abdullah, Sulaiman, & Ang, ; Ahmed et al, ; Laskar et al, ; Silva et al, ). In recent years, the successful medical application of propolis has further led to its extensive use as a food additive in beverages and its application in cosmetics; it is now recognized as a safe substance for humans (Daleprane & Abdalla, ; Lotfy, ; Tosi et al, ).…”

“…TTC may induce severe microvesicular steatosis in liver, which may be life-threatening (Yin et al, 2006). Overexposure to TTC at high blood concentrations can lead to life-threatening adverse effects, including liver, and kidney injury (Abdel-Daim & Ghazy, 2015;Shabana et al, 2012;Yin et al, 2006). Microvesicular steatosis, oxidative tissue injury, and impaired mitochondrial functions are the possible contributing factors for TTC-induced hepatic and renal toxicity (Abdel-Daim & Ghazy, 2015;Asha, Sankar, & Nair, 2007;Yin et al, 2006).…”

Antioxidant Properties and Protective Effect of Turkish Propolis on t-BHP-Induced Oxidative Stress in Foreskin Fibroblast Cells

“…6,11 Flavonoids are natural polyphenolic compounds that can be found in fruits, vegetables, and beverages, such as tea, wine, and fruit juice. 12 Since these compounds are secondary plant metabolites, they cannot be synthesized by humans and so they are forming a significant part of human diet. 13 Flavonoids display their biological activities by bonding heavy metal ions and biological polymers, by catalyzing electron transport and scavenging free radicals.…”

Seasonality on the antifungal potential of green propolis collected in Campo Grande - MS, Brazil

“…More than 300 substances have already been identified in different samples of propolis (KOC et al, 2005;ABUBAKAR, et al, 2014;KUREK-GÓRECKA et al, 2014), including fatty acids, phenolic acids, phenolic esters, terpenes, β-sterols, aromatic aldehydes, alcohols, sesquiterpenes and naphthalenes (MARCUCCI, 2001;KUREK-GÓRECKA et al, 2014).…”