EXTRATOS ETANÓLICOS E OLEOSOS DE PRÓPOLIS: QUANTIFICAÇÃO E ATIVIDADE BIOLÓGICA

Abstract

Propolis is a resinous hive product collected by honeybees from various plant sources. Due to the wide biodiversity found in Brazilian vegetable species, propolis from this country has a striking variability in its chemical composition. That is why it is important to quantify total phenolic compounds and flavonoids in propolis extracts. Those are the main classes of compounds which are responsible for pharmacological properties which have been reported to propolis such as: antimicrobial, antioxidative, antitumour, anti-inflammatory, among other properties. The main objective of this research was to compare propolis extracts from around the city of Prudentopolis (Parana State/ Brazil), made with vegetable oil and ethanolic solutions, regarding to their phenolic contents, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. Quantitative analyses indicated that canola oil extracted phenolic compounds and flavonoids from propolis, although with lower yield if compared to ethanolic extractions. In vitro antimicrobial tests showed that the oil extract, as well as the ethanolic propolis extracts, possessed antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. Regarding to cytotoxic activity, propolis oil extracts showed antiproliferative effect toward all human tumoural cell lines tested, with greater specificity against colon tumoural and glioblastoma cells. The current study is of major importance for subsequent development of new products containing oil extract preparations from propolis.