IMR Press / FBE / Volume 4 / Issue 2 / DOI: 10.2741/e418

Frontiers in Bioscience-Elite (FBE) is published by IMR Press from Volume 13 Issue 2 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Review

Beneficial effects of propolis on human health and neurological diseases

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1 Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
2 Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

 

Front. Biosci. (Elite Ed) 2012, 4(2), 779–793; https://doi.org/10.2741/e418
Published: 1 January 2012
Abstract

Propolis is a natural product, collected by honeybees Apis mellifera, from various plant sources. Propolis is extensively used in foods and beverages because it improves human health. It contains more than 300 natural compounds such as polyphenols, phenolic aldehydes, sequiterpene-quinones, coumarins, amino acids, steroids and inorganic compounds. Propolis exhibits a broad spectrum of biological and pharmacological properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anticancer, antiulcer, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective actions. The chemical composition and beneficial properties of propolis vary greatly depending on the phytogeographical areas, seasonal collection time, and botanical source. Polyphenols found in fruits and vegetables are beginning to receive increased attention due to their vital role in protecting neural cells from oxidative stress and neuroinflammation associated with normal aging and chronic age-related diseases. Propolis is one of the most abundant sources of polyphenols (mainly flavonoids and phenolic acids). This overview is an attempt to discuss the molecular mechanism underlying the potential beneficial effects of propolis on human health and neurological diseases.

Keywords
Apis mellifera
Flavonoids
Phenolic Acids
Phenolic Acid Esters
Polyphenols
Anti-Oxidant
AntiInflammatory
Immunomodulatory
Neurological Disorders
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