Abstract
BackgroundPropolis is a natural product that has been widely utilized as medicine and dietary supplement because of its broad biological activities. However, although meliponide hive products have many advantages, meliponiculture has not yet become popular in Argentina, and few scientific studies on its chemical composition and/or its bioactive properties were reported, so the use of stingless bee propolis Argentine in popular medicine continues to be based on empirical knowledge.Our work aims to evaluate in vivo anti-inflammatory, antitussive and expectorant activities, and acute toxicity of the Argentine geopropolis ethanol extracts of two stingless bee’s species, Scaptotrigona jujuyensis Schrottky and Tetragonisca fiebrigi Schwarz. Wistar male rats were used for all in vivo studies. Anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated through carrageenan-induced edema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation. Antitussive activity was assessed against ammonia-induced cough. Expectorant activity was measured by volume of phenol red in the rats’ tracheas. The extract doses tested were 125, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg (p.o.). The safety was evaluated with test of acute toxicity (48 h).ResultsThe results showed that S. jujuyensis and T. fiebrigi propolis (1000 mg/kg) significantly reduced the carrageenan-induced edema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation 3 h post-dosing. In the ammonia liquor-induced cough, both propolis significantly enhanced the latent period and reduced cough frequency as compared with those of the negative control. However, they did not increase the expulsion of red phenol in the treated rats.ConclusionsThis study shows that ethanol extracts of S. jujuyensis and T. fiebrigi propolis have anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects. These findings would justify the use of geopropolis in medicine as a potential phytotherapeutic product.Graphical abstract
Highlights
Propolis is a natural product that has been widely utilized as medicine and dietary supplement because of its broad biological activities
We revealed the presence of sterols, triterpenes, catechins, coumarins, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, and anthocyanidins in ethanol extracts of T. fiebrigi and S. jujuyensis propolis [18]
Rats previously treated with both geopropolis extracts suppressed the inflammatory response 1 h after injection with carrageenan
Summary
Propolis is a natural product that has been widely utilized as medicine and dietary supplement because of its broad biological activities. Our work aims to evaluate in vivo anti-inflammatory, antitussive and expectorant activities, and acute toxicity of the Argentine geopropolis ethanol extracts of two stingless bee’s species, Scaptotrigona jujuyensis Schrottky and Tetragonisca fiebrigi Schwarz. Antibacterial, antifungal, astringent, spasmolytic, anti-inflammatory, anesthetic, antioxidant, anti-ulcer, anticancer, and immunomodulatory effects have been demonstrated [3,4,5]. It is currently used as a dietary supplement, in the pharmaceutical industry and in clinical applications in veterinary medicine [5]. Honey bees’ propolis is a resinous and balsamic material collected from vegetable sources and processed with the addition of some enzymes [6], while meliponines propolis has wax and earth, a fact that accounts for the denomination of geopropolis [7]
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