Algerian Propolis Research Articles

Algerian Propolis from Distinct Geographical Locations: Chemical Profiles, Antioxidant Capacity, Cytotoxicity and Inhibition of 5-Lipoxygenase Product Biosynthesis.

Propolis was collected from honeybee hives in three geographically distinct Algerian climates and extracts were characterized for composition and bioactivity. Bees were identified as native subspecies using an in-silico DraI mtDNA COI-COII test. Over 20 compounds were identified in extracts by LC-MS. Extracts from the Medea region were more enriched in phenolic content (302±28 mg GAE/g of dry extract) than those from Annaba and Ghardaia regions. Annaba extracts had the highest flavonoid content (1870±385 mg QCE/g of dry extract). Medea extracts presented the highest free-radical scavenging activity (IC50=13.5 μg/mL) using the DPPH radical assay while Ghardaia extracts from the desert region were weak (IC50>100 μg/mL). Antioxidant activities measured using AAPH oxidation of linoleic acid were similar in all extracts with IC50 values ranging from 2.9 to 4.9 μg/mL. All extracts were cytotoxic (MTT assay) and proapoptotic (Annexin-V) against human leukemia cell lines in the low μg/mL range, although the Annaba extract was less active against the Reh cell line. Extracts inhibited cellular 5-lipoxygenase product biosynthesis with IC50 values ranging from 0.6 to 3.2 μg/mL. Overall, examined propolis extracts exhibited significant biological activity that warrant further characterization in cellular and in vivo models.

Assessment of Efficacy of Algerian Propolis against the Parasitic Mite Varroa destructor and Safety for Honey Bees by Spray Treatment.

Varroa destructor is an ectoparasitic mite and is considered one of the most important causes of honey bee population loss. In the last years, substances of botanical origin have emerged as natural alternatives to diminish the mite population levels. Propolis is a natural product and is used by honey bees for multiple tasks, including protection from pathogens and parasites, and varroacidal activity of propolis extracts has been shown. In this study, we investigated the potential of propolis, collected by native Algerian honey bee subspecies (Apis mellifera intermissa and A. m. sahariensis) in different locations in Algeria and extracted by ultrasound, to control mites of V. destructor and tested the safety for the honey bees. The most important results were that the best propolis extracts at 10% killed 100% of the Varroa mites within 3-4 h in a Petri dish assay. In addition, when we sprayed A. m. intermissa bees infested with Varroa mites with a 10% concentration in a mini-hive setup, we scored a high mite mortality of 85-87% with the best propolis extracts, and importantly, there was no mortality in the bees. Our data demonstrated that propolis extracts in Algeria could be used in honey bee colonies by spraying against Varroa mite infestations, which may develop as an easy method for local beekeepers to control Varroa in their hives. Further research should investigate the mechanism of action.

GC-MS based metabolic profile and toxicological evaluation of three Algerian propolis

This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition and toxicity of methanolic extracts of three Algerian propolis collected from Oum el Bouaghi (MEPO), El Harrouch (MEPH) and Collo (MEPC) regions. The chemical profile was characterised by GC-MS. The toxicity of the extracts was tested using brine shrimp model. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of ferulic acid (23.8%), pinostrobin chalcone (15.8%) and α-eudesmol (11.3%) as major compounds in MEPO, pinostrobin chalcone (22.2%), 9-octadecenoic acid, methyl ester, (E)- (17.4%), and γ-gurjunenepoxide-(2) (11.7%) were the most abundant components in MEPH, whereas MEPC was dominated by 1-heptatriacotanol (17.8%), pinostrobin chalcone (14.7%), totarol (13.7%) and 9-octadecenoic acid, methyl ester, (E)- (13.0%). The brine shrimp lethality test indicated that the extracts had moderate toxicity in which MEPC exhibited the highest activity with LC50 of 201.61 ± 7.27 µg/mL. All extracts showed no toxicity at 25 µg/mL concentration and below.

Bioactive molecules from Algerian propolis with therapeutic potential against the oral pathogen Enterococcus faecalis and Chromobacterium violaceum CV026

Bioactive molecules from Algerian propolis with therapeutic potential against the oral pathogen Enterococcus faecalis and Chromobacterium violaceum CV026

Chemical Composition and Biological Evaluation of Algerian Propolis from Six Different Regions

Propolis is considered a natural resin produced by the bee and is still used in folk medicine. Six propolis samples from Apis mellifera (P1-P6) collected from different regions in Algeria were investigated for their contents and biological activities. The obtained results revealed that propolis P1 exhibited the highest total phenolics (210.93 mg GAE/g propolis), total flavonoids (34.33 mg QE/g propolis), and tannins (23.36 mg CE/g propolis). For antioxidant activities, P1 showed strong free radical scavenging activity with EC50 values of 0.055, 0.0306, 0.109 and 0.071 mg/mL, respectively for DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and phosphomolybdenum assays. On the other hand, all propolis demonstrated antibacterial activities against G+ve bacteria (S. aureus) with slightly higher activities that were associated with P1 and P5 (9.83 and 10.92mm, respectively). P5 exhibited the lowest MIC and MBC against S. aureus with values of 62.5 and 125 µg/ml, respectively. Furthermore, all propolis had moderate to low antimicrobial activities against C. albicans (yeast) with moderate activities for P1 and P6 (13.33 and 8.50 mm, respectively). Chemical profiling of the most bioactive propolis samples (P1, P4, and P5) using HPLC‑fingerprint analysis mainly led to detecting phenolic acids and flavonoids in variable percentages.

Antispasmodic and nephroprotective potentials of native Algerian propolis and bee pollen: An experimental study in mice

The present work examined the in vivo antispasmodic and nephroprotective potentials of methanolic extracts obtained from Algerian native propolis and bee pollen. The in vivo antispasmodic activity was assessed by the intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid (1%) which induced long-lasting visceral pain in mice. The renal damage was modelled by intraperitoneal injection of a cisplatin (CP; 10 mg/kg) followed by histopathological changes in kidneys. In addition, the beehive by-products were screened for their bioactive content and in vitro antioxidant activities. The propolis and bee pollen are rich sources of bioactive compounds. The propolis showed the highest antioxidant potencies as evaluated by β-carotene bleaching system (87.16 ± 3.69%), DPPH (176.05 ± 0.20 µg/mL), and FRAP (0.61 ± 0.002 μmol Fe(II)/g) assays. The antispasmodic test revealed that propolis extract (250 mg/kg) significantly inhibited the number of spasms (61.04 ± 3.92%) induced by acetic acid. Based on histopathology examinations, bee pollen extract at 250 mg/kg significantly reduced nephrotoxic effects induced by CP injection. These results provided a good scientific basis for future research on antispasmodic and nephroprotective effects and/or mechanisms of propolis and bee pollen, which confer them a real application in drug discovery.

In Vitro Evaluation of Cytotoxic Activity of Algerian propolis against Human Breast Adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231) Cells and Investigation of its Potential Mechanism of Action

<p>Background: Breast cancer is a major cause of death in women worldwide. Propolis antitumor activity has become the subject of growing research related to breast cancer. Algerian propolis is being studied for its antitumor activity on several cell lines. However, little is known about its cytotoxic activity on the human breast adenocarcinoma cell line. <p> Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic effect of Algerian propolis on human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MDA-MB-231) and explain its mechanism of action. <p> Methods: Cytotoxic activity was evaluated using an MTT assay, and mechanisms involved in the cytotoxic activity were also investigated. In addition, the chemical profile was analyzed by the determination of TP and TF contents. <p> Results: TP and TF of the tested propolis varied between 1.36±0.15 and 97.85±2.98 GAE μg/mg for TP and 0.08±0.10 and 33.22±1,17QE μg/mg for TF. Propolis treatment of MD-MB-231 cells for 24 hours was found to suppress the growth of the tested cell line in a dose-dependent manner. The tested propolis probably induced an intrinsic pathway of apoptosis through caspase cascade and activation of pro-apoptotic proteins, such as BAX, p53, and p21. In addition, cell proliferation was found to be inhibited by the diminution of CYCLIN2 and CDK4 activities associated with the increase in P21 acting as a protein inhibitor. <p> Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that Algerian propolis could be used as a complementary treatment for breast cancer. Our propolis was found to suppress the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation.</p>

LC–MS/MS analysis, antioxidant and anticancer effects of phenolic-rich extracts from Algerian propolis: a comparative study

LC–MS/MS analysis, antioxidant and anticancer effects of phenolic-rich extracts from Algerian propolis: a comparative study

An Investigation of the Bactericidal and Fungicidal Effects of Algerian Propolis Extracts and Essential Oils

Natural products have been used in medicine for variety of purposes for centuries. As a natural product, propolis is gaining increasing importance today due to its antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms. Hence, the aim of the present study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of extracts and essential oils of propolis collected from various regions of Algeria against food-borne and clinically pathogen microorganisms including Salmonella enteritidis RSKK 171, Shigella sonnei MU:57 and Candida glabrata RSKK 04019. The antimicrobial activity of the propolis extracts and essential oils were evaluated using disc diffusion method. The results showed that all propolis extracts and essential oils exhibited antimicrobial activity against the tested microorganisms with inhibition zones varied from 8.31 mm to 14.53 mm. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal or fungicidal concentration (MBC or MFC) of the samples were determined by microdilution-broth method. The MIC and MBC or MFC values were in the range of 0.25-2 µg/µl and 0.25-4 µg/µl. Therefore, propolis extracts and essential oils from different regions of Algeria have potential to be used as a natural additive for food and pharmaceutical industries.

Optimization, characterization and biological effect of Algerian propolis

Natural products was the source of many important biological activities against human and animal pathogens. Propolis was one of these substances, produced by bees from resins and wax. In this study, D-optimal experimental design used to optimize operational condition of propolis extraction, and then phenolic compounds of propolis extracted from seven regions of Bejaia was identified and quantified by HPLC analysis. Also, their biological activities was evaluated, including antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effects, and sperm cells cryopreservation effect. The highest antibacterial activitywas obtained in propolis extract from the Baccaro region against B. cereus and strong effect against S. areus, C. albicans, and E. Coliwas reached using propolis extracted from Melbou region. High inhibition percentage denaturation of the BSA protein was observed using propolis extracted from Melbou. Also, the best antioxidant and sperm cells cryopreservation preservation was obtained using propolis extracted from Melbou. This work demonstrates that Melbou propolis extract obtained by the agitation method (MEA) showed the best and strongest biological effects, indicating an interesting and promising approach for development of new therapeutics formulations based on propolis extract from bejaia region.

Composition of Algerian Propolis, Plant Origin, and Its Antiangiogenic Activity In Vitro.

The antiangiogenic activity of the ethanol extract of propolis collected from different regions in western Algeria was investigated using in vitro human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The ethanol extract with the strongest activity, i.e., Algerian propolis 1 (EEPA1), inhibited the formation of capillary networks in a dose-dependent manner (6.25–50 μg/mL) within 12 h and induced cell fragmentation of HUVECs at 50 μg/mL after treatment for 24 h. To identify the active compounds in EEAP1, a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was performed, revealing that EEAP1 contains two major compounds. Both compounds were isolated by repeated column chromatography and identified as ω-hydroxyferulenol (1) and ferulenol (2), which have a coumarin structure conjugated with a farnesyl group according to NMR, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy, and chemical modification. Compounds 1 and 2 inhibited the tube-forming activity of HUVECs, especially 2, which exhibited a stronger antiangiogenic effect even at a low concentration of 3.31 μg/mL. Moreover, 2 suppressed the elongation and induced cell fragmentation at the same dose. The molecular changes in tube-forming HUVECs induced by 2 were found to be related to the activation of the caspase signals. To confirm the plant origin of propolis, an HPLC comparative analysis of the ethanol extracts of some plants near beekeeping areas and that of Algerian propolis (EEAP1) was performed, and similar chromatographic patterns were observed. This result suggests that the plant origin of this Algerian propolis is the resin of Ferula communis.

Anticholinesterase, anti-α-glucosidase, antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of four Algerian propolis

Anticholinesterase, anti-α-glucosidase, antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of four Algerian propolis

Phytochemical Investigation of Phenolic Constituents and In vitro Evaluation of Antioxidant Activity of Five Algerian Propolis

Background:: Algerian propolis has gained interest in the last recent years. Many researches concerning both its biological effects and chemical composition were performed. Objective:: The present study was designed to investigate the chemical composition in particular phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity of five Algerian propolis collected from different geographical parts of the Algerian north namely: Constantine (CN), Boumerdes (BN), Mila (MN), Tebessa (TN) and Guelma (GN). Method:: Propolis extracts were obtained using solvents of varying polarity: petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and finally methanol. Phenolic compounds were determined by liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In addition, total flavonoid and phenolic contents were also determined. Antioxidant activity was investigated using five complementary tests namely: DPPH., ABTS.+ assays for radical-scavenging activity, β-carotene-linoleic acid assay for lipid peroxidation activity, CUPRAC and FRAP assays for reduction capacity. Results:: The main phenolic compounds detected in the present study were caffeic, p-coumaric, cinnamic and chlorogenic acids as well as naringenin and kampferol. Among the tested extracts, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts exhibited the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents and the strongest antioxidant activity. Propolis of Constantine was the most active one. Conclusion:: Our results suggest the potential use of Algerian propolis as a natural source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity.

Chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of two essential oils from Algerian propolis.

This study aims to investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity of two essential oils (EOs) from Algerian propolis. The volatile constituents were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fifty components were identified from the oils. The major components were found to be: cedrol (17.0%), β-eudesmol (7.7%), and α-eudesmol (6.7%) in EO of propolis from Oum El Bouaghi (EOPO) whilst α-pinene (56.1%), cis-verbenol (6.0%), and cyclohexene,3-acetoxy-4-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-1-methyl (4.4%) in EO of propolis from Batna (EOPB). The antioxidant properties of EOPO and EOPB were determined using 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS•+) and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC assays), respectively. Both EOs had more cupric ion reducing ability than scavenging ABTS•+ radicals. The antimicrobial potential of the two EOs against eight pathogens was assayed by the agar diffusion method and the mode of action was determined by microdilution assay. The results revealed that EOPB was bactericidal for all tested pathogenic bacteria and fungicidal for Candida albicans ATCC 10231, whereas, EOPO showed bacteriostatic effect against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853 and fungistatic effect against C.albicans ATCC 10231. Thus, the obtained results suggest the important use of propolis EOs as preservative agents.

Polyphenol Contents, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Aqueous Algerian Propolis Extracts

The propolis, an extremely complex resinous material, exhibits valuable pharmacological and biological properties, mainly attributed to the presence of polyphenols. The composition of propolis depends on time, vegetation, and the area of collection. Total flavonoid and polyphenol contents of aqueous extracts of propolis samples from different areas of Algeria, determined by using aluminum chloride and Folin–Ciocalteu colorimetric methods, were in the range of 3.047 ± 0.004–5.273 ± 0.013 mg/g and 96.833 ± 0.027–458.833 ± 0.0005 mg/g crude extract of propolis, respectively. This study examined the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of propolis. Aqueous extracts of propolis were obtained in order to evaluate their antioxidant activities by using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, β-carotene and electrochemical assays. All tested propolis samples had relatively strong antioxidant activities, which were also correlated with the total polyphenol and flavonoid content present. The percentage of inhibition of lipid peroxidation of linoleic acid emulsion during 24 h varied between 86.04 ± 0.42 and 90.60 ± 3.77% among the tested samples. The highest DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed by ABAL (Ain Abassa Aqueous Extract) with IC50 = 8.49 ± 5.07 10−5 μg/ml, and the lowest was observed by SAL (Setif Aqueous Extract) with IC50 of 21.16 ± 0.0001 μg/ml. The most important antibacterial activity was obtained with Ain Abassa extract; the zones of inhibition obtained for this excerpt vary from 15.22 to 15.5 mm. Followed by the Setif extract with areas of 12.33 to 12.75 mm, the Tizi-Ouzou extract with areas of 10.11 to 11.11 mm. This study will bring an innovation for further studies with regard to the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the aqueous extracts of propolis. This study corroborates that Algerian propolis is a rich source of natural antioxidants, properties which could be used in the prevention of different diseases, both in humans and in animals.

Determination of some phenolic acids in Algerian propolis

Abstract Propolis is a resinous material collected by bees from various plant exudates, rich in well-known phenolic compounds, such as phenolic acids, that are important to health. Extracts of propolis are very complex matrices that are hard to test. The purpose of this study was to characterize some of the propolis phenolics that were collected from five different districts in Algeria. The High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), a modern quantitative method, has been adopted to identify the phenolic acids. Moreover, total phenolic content of four different phenolic acids were identified, with the most abundant being chlorogenic acid, followed by caffeic acid, gallic acid, and p-coumaric acid, the obtained ratios from phenolic acids being in the range of 52.193 to 148.151 μg/g, 0.043 to 7.128 mg/g, 0.328 to 0.440 mg/g and 0.328 to 0.440 mg/g, respectively. Overall, our analysis indicates that all the samples of propolis tested are healthy sources of phenolic acids and the significant differences in the concentrations of the acids were observed for propolis samples from north and south of Algeria. It is probably the effect of different conditions of the collection of the resin and secrets by bees.

PROPOLIS: ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION ANALYSIS

Over the last few years, propolis has been the object of many studies conducted around the world, and its biological properties and chemical composition have been widely investigated. The present study focuses on the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity as well as an examination of the chemical composition of two samples of propolis from Eastern Algeria coming from the commune of El Mechrouha and Ouled Driss in the wilaya of Souk-Ahras. The two samples are tested for their antimicrobial power by undertaking the agar diffusion technique on eight pathogenic microbial strains (six bacterial strains and two fungal strains) which are: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus thoraltensis, , , Candida famata and Aspergillus niger. The results obtained clearly show the impact of propolis on the microbial susceptibility of Gram-positive bacteria (S. agalactiae and S. aureus), as well as on fungal species (C. famata and A. niger). The analysis of the chemical composition of the ethanolic extracts of the two propolis by UV-visible absorption spectrometry and thin layer chromatography showed that Algerian propolis is wealthy in phenolic compounds, and high performance liquid chromatography allowed the identification of four polyphenols (Gallic acid, Caffeic acid, Quercetin and Catechin). These outcomes permitted a first assessment of the two propolis which present comparable components in their chemical compositions.

Algerian propolis: between protection of normal cells and potentialisation of the anticancer effects of doxorubicin against breast cancer cells via P-glycoprotein inhibition and cell cycle arrest in the S phase.

Breast cancer is a common cancer and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. Studies have shown that breast cancer is a heterogeneous tumor with varying response to treatments. The clinical use of doxorubicin (Dox) in the treatment of cancer is limited by its cardiotoxicity which results in often fatal heart failure and the development of multidrug resistance. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies and targets are underscored. Propolis has been reported to show a broad spectrum of biological activities including anticancer activity. In this study, we investigated the role of propolis on the antitumor effects of Dox on breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) and its ability to provide protection against Dox-mediated damage on normal cells (MRC-5). Modifications in cell viability, apoptosis induction, cell cycle progression and permeability glycoprotein (P-gp) activity of breast cancer cells in vitro were evaluated. Propolis combined with Dox inhibited cell growth in a dose dependent manner by inducing cell cycle arrest in the S phase and caspase-dependent apoptosis. In the presence of propolis, the IC50 of Dox against MDA-MB-231 cells decreased by 10-fold. The increased sensitivity of cancer cells to the combined treatment was explained by the capacity of propolis to cause a significant increase in Dox content in MDA-MB-231. Very interestingly, Algerian propolis showed its ability to inhibit efficiently P-gp function in comparison with verapamil, reference P-gp modulator, which proves the efficacy of propolis to reverse the problem of multidrug resistance. Our results showed also that propolis could protect normal cells from deleterious effects of Dox by amelioration of cell viability. In conclusion, the obtained results indicate that Algerian propolis potentiated the antitumor effects of Dox on breast cancer cells and could reduce the problem of multidrug resistance. Therefore, Algerian propolis may be an effective agent in a combined treatment with Dox for increased therapeutic efficacy against breast cancer. Clinically, our results are relevant because with this combined therapy it may be possible to counter the problem of cancer cell resistance while reducing the problem of toxicity on normal cells.

Ethanolic Extract of Algerian Propolis Induced Cell Damage in Staphylococcus Aureus: A Promising Alternative as a Natural Bio-Preservative in Food Products

This study describes the antistaphylococcal mechanism of the ethanolic extract of Algerian propolis on Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. To investigate the underlying mechanism of action of the ethanolic extract of propolis, bacteriolysis, bacterial death, leakage of potassium, proteins, nucleic components, and scanning electron microscopic studies were conducted. The results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ethanolic extract of propolis against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 was 39 μg ml–1. The extract displayed significant bactericid activity against S. aureus in a time and concentration dependant manner. Its mode of action was evident from the increase of K+ efflux and nucleotide leakage. These results were confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) that showed remarkable morphological and ultrastructural changes in S. aureus after exposure to 1MIC and 2MIC concentrations. The overall study contributed to the understanding of the antistaphylococcal mechanism of ethanolic extract of propolis. It emphasizes its potential to be used as an important natural bio-preservatives in food products.

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of Algerian propolis against fish pathogenic bacteria

Five different varieties of propolis from four sites from Sétif region (East of Algeria) (Babor, Setif; Ain-Abbassa and El-Hamma), and one site from the center of Algeria (Tizi-Ouzou) were chemically analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. One hundred and two compounds were identified including aromatic acids, linear hydrocarbons and their acids, terpenes and alcaloïdes. Furthermore, the in vitro bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities of the aqueous extracts were evaluated against one Gram positive (Bacillus subtilis, used as probiotics in aquaculture) and two Gram negative (Vibrio anguillarum and Vibrio harveyi, pathogenic for fish) bacteria. The obtained results showed that all aqueous extracts of propolis inhibit the growth of B. Subtilis while the growth inhibition of fish pathogens was achieved when using higher propolis concentrations. These antibacterial properties would warrant further studies on the clinical applications of propolis in aquaculture field.
 Keywords: Bactericidal activity; Chemical characterization; Propolis; Vibrio.