2022 Conference Programme

Our opening ceremony will begin with a warm welcome and introduction from IPRG Chairman, James Fearnley. 

Introductions from the IPRG's Scientific Advisory Board, which is comprised of:

• Assist. Prof. Dr. Ali Timucin Atayogl
• Prof. Vassya Bankova
• Dr. Andresa Berretta
• Prof. Miguel Vilas-Boas
• Dr. Janko Božič
• Dr. Stefan Stangaciu
• Prof. Anant Paradkar
• Prof. Niraldo Paulino
• Dr. Felix Zulhendri
• Prof Badiaa Lyoussi

This years sponsors include:

• Wholesome™
• CC Pollen
• ABEMEL
• B Natural
• BeeVital
• Apis Flora®

Propolis obviously has a major role to play in the honeybees immune defence. Propolis protects the colony physically, reinforcing every cell, creating a defendable entrance as well as an effective and adaptable ventilation system . Biologically, principally via the phenolic compounds, propolis prevents infectious agents from becoming dangerous when they join together by disconnecting and disabling bacterial and virus’s, disarming rather than destroying. Propolis provides the honeybee colony with a key capacity or ability to sustain itself. It is the most powerful component of the honeybee’s sustainability.

What propolis does for the honeybee ,we are discovering, it can also do for human beings. The colony is a body, a superorganism without a skin. The temperature inside this superorganism is very close to that in the human body. Over the last 70 years research has illustrated the many anti – properties of propolis , anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral etc.

Modern pharmaceutical medicine, however, did not develop the disabling ,disconnecting and ultimately sustainable model demonstrated by propolis but has focused instead on targeted synthetic ,often single molecule actives often derived from plants and designed to directly destroy the bacteria, fungi, virus. The short-term benefits of this anti – medicines has been dramatically positive, but has in the long term contributed to some major global health care problems - antibiotic resistance and iatrogenesis. The sustainability of modern pharmaceutical medicine is in question.

Health consumers are turning in their millions to natural alternatives and medical scientists are developing the evidence base for therapies and products that have been used for hundreds if not thousands of years.

Propolis is emerging as one of nature’s most powerful and most sustainable supports for the human immune system. But how can this new more sustainable medicine be developed itself sustainably. The honeybee is not a commodity to be exploited. We must find a new relationship with what we call medicine and a new relationship with those natural medicines that may well hold a critical key to the restoration of positive health.

It is widely known that bees collect pollen and nectar from flowers. It is hardly known that many bees, both solitary and social, also collect substantial amounts of plant resins from various plant species. Bees use resin to construct and defend their nests, to support their immune system and to increase the chemical and functional diversity of their chemical profiles. Yet, suprisingly little is known about resin foraging, the usage of resin in nests or the importance of landscape-related availability and diversity of resin-providing plants. For both temperate and tropical regions, we found bees to collect a broad spectrum of resin sources but also clear preferences for specific resins. Moreover, the spectrum of resin collected depends on the surrounding landscape and plant community. In fact, resin diversity is reduced in intensively used agricultural areas, with potential negative effects on its functional properties. Resin may thus play a strongly underestimated key function in the health of resin collecting bees.

The collection and deposition of plant resins (propolis) within the nest by honey bees is a form of social immunity that provides several benefits at both the individual and colony levels. Some of these benefits include a reduction in colony pathogen load and modulation of the individual immune system. Most studies examining the mechanisms of propolis activity on honey bee immune processes rely on whole organisms or colonies. However, in vitro systems composed of honey bee cells could add a level of understanding of the effects of propolis on the cellular and molecular elements of the immune response under highly controlled conditions. We extracted RNA from AmE-711 honey bees cells exposed to an extract made from green propolis from Brazil for 3-, 12-, and 24-hours. We provide some evidence for an interaction of propolis exposure and time on the honey bee immune response, including changes in genes linked to G-coupled receptor signaling. Moreover, co-expression profiles of select immune targets showed changes associated with the regulation of gene expression. These preliminary findings provide the foundation for additional experiments testing different sources and duration of propolis exposure on honey bee immune and global gene regulation using a cell culture model.

Honey bees have evolved many mechanisms at the colony level that protect them against various stressors. One example of these types of social immune defenses is the collection of antimicrobial plant resins, which are incorporated in the nest architecture as propolis. Propolis influences colony and bee microbiota and honey bee immune gene expression, often having a stabilizing effect. However, previous studies have largely focused solely on either resin-rich or resin-poor colonies. Resin deposition, however, varies widely among colonies. Additionally, the multifaceted impacts of propolis need to be studied more holistically in real-world apicultural scenarios where bees are potentially exposed to more diverse environments and potential stressors. In this project, we used hive bodies altered to encourage a range of propolis deposition as part of a large-scale effort to examine the role of propolis with respect to bee health in a commercial beekeeping operation and in stationary hives. Results of colony health metrics in relation to this propolis-enhanced environment will be presented. Anticipated outcomes of this project are to make recommendations on colony management practices that result in healthier bees by promoting their own behavioral defenses and ultimately further elucidate the intricate role of propolis on individual bee and colony health.

When colonies of A. mellifera nest in tree cavities, they line the nest interior with a propolis envelope, which serves many purposes, including waterproofing and preventing fungal decay of the hive walls. Our research shows that honey bees exploit the antimicrobial properties of resins to supplement and stabilize individual immune function, fight off some pathogens and parasites, and promote the proliferation of some microbiome species. In the U.S., colonies derived from A. m. ligustica and carnica that are hived in standard beekeeping equipment made of smooth wood do not construct a propolis envelope. For our research trials, we experimented with different ways to apply or encourage colonies to construct a propolis envelope. We describe the pros and cons of these methods including our latest approach, which is to provide colonies with boxes that are internally rough-cut with grooves 5-7mm wide and deep. In these boxes, the propolis does not interfere with the natural bee space or impede frame movement. The results of large-scale field trials using these boxes will be discussed in a separate talk by Dr. M. Simone-Finstrom. We encourage all beekeepers to encourage bees to deposit propolis within hive bodies to promote honey bee health.

There is a growing demand among beekeepers for more sustainable treatments to promote honey bee health. Certain plant natural products (PNPs), such as honey bee-collected resins (propolis) and beekeeper-applied essential oils, positively impact bee health, but the specific mechanisms underlying their effects need more research. This project aims to understand how propolis extracts and essential oils added to the honey bee diet modulate different aspects of bee health. Cages of newly emerged bees were provided pollen paste and sucrose syrup containing either i) Brazilian or ii) Louisiana propolis extract, or iii) lemongrass, iv) spearmint, or v) thyme oil at different concentrations for seven days. Control treatments consisted of either kanamycin (negative control), emulsifiers, or just sucrose. The sucrose, Brazilian propolis, and lemongrass-fed cages had the longest median lifespans while the thyme and spearmint-fed cages had the shortest. Analyses of whole bee abdomens revealed some differences in the abundances of prominent bacterial gut taxa in bees fed kanamycin, spearmint, and thyme relative to the controls, but overall the bee gut microbiota appears robust to perturbation by even high concentrations of PNPs. Effects of the PNPs on other metrics of health and detoxification pathways will also be discussed.

We hope you have enjoyed this mornings presentations! Please stick around for some live discussion from this morning's speakers.

Bees rely on plants for everything they need to support the life of their colony. As a result, the bee-plants relationship is mutually beneficial and complicated. The least studied aspect of this relationship is connected to the plant resin collection by bees to produce propolis, which is both a building material and a chemical defense against microorganisms and parasites. The secretion of antimicrobial material is widespread in the plant kingdom, however, in a particular geographic region, bees usually demonstrate preference for a very limited number of source plants. We are going to present the up-to-date knowledge on botanical sources of propolis, discussing the ways bees make their choice, the ways to identify the propolis bearing plants, the chemical differences between distinct propolis types, and the composition-bioactivity relationship. Knowledge of the botanical sources of propolis is essential with respect to the wellbeing and health of the bee colony.

Propolis is a natural resin produced by bees from resins secreted by specific populations of plants around the hive. Several compounds have been isolated from these samples, preferably present in the ethanol-soluble fraction, however the volatile compounds fraction may contribute to therapeutic effects still little explored. This paper presents a review of these compounds and their pharmacological activities for potential use in the clinic.

Self-medication refers to the ability of animals to exploit beneficial biologically active compounds in response to parasite infestation. Recent studies suggest that Apis mellifera may adopt such behaviour against the mite Varroa destructor, the most important ectoparasite of the honey bee. Here we describe for the first time a novel line of defence in the behavioural immunity repertoire of honey bees, which involves the use of propolis to treat the environment where the parasites reproduce. We found that propolis applied to brood cells can affect mite mortality and fertility, with a positive effect on bees and a clear impact on Varroa population. We conclude that propolis can be regarded as a potent natural pesticide used by honey bees to limit a dangerous parasite. Our findings show that increased resin collection represents an example of social medication that is performed by honey bees to mitigate the detrimental effects of Varroa parasitism.

Propolis from different parts of Nigeria were investigated for their chemical composition and bioactivity against Trypanosoma brucei. Extracts from 14 samples were profiled using various analytical techniques. Principal component analysis was used to characterize the samples according to their chemical composition. The samples demonstrated uniqueness in chemical composition. Two samples, one from Rivers State (red in colour) and another from Imo State Nigeria (green in colour) had different appearances from the rest of the samples which were all brown. The chemical composition of the Nigerian red propolis was comparable to that of Brazilian red propolis. Several compounds including novel ones were isolated and characterized from the samples using spectroscopic methods. Stilbenes from the Nigerian green propolis is reported for the first time.

Milena Popova(1), Boryana Trusheva(1), Ralitsa Chimshirova(1), Le Nguyen Thanh(2), Vassya Bankova(1)

1 Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria;

2 Graduate University of Science & Technology and Institute of Marine Biochemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi, Vietnam;

The chemical composition of 16 propolis samples from four provinces of Vietnam, produced by six species of local stingless bees was examined. Chemical profiles were obtained by GC/MS after silylation of dry ethanol extracts. Most of the samples contained characteristic compounds for Mangifera indica, a well-known propolis source in tropical regions. Xanthones, some of them markers of Cratoxylum cochinchinense, predominate in two of the samples. In three of the samples a high relative content of triterpenes of oleanane, ursane, lupane and dammarane type was observed, with the most probable source being dipterocarp trees. It can be summarized that although the bees had access to the same plants in the same area, they collected different resins to make propolis. Some similarities in propolis from the same bee species were also observed, but we could not conclude unambiguously that the bee species determines the composition of propolis. The only exception is the bee species Homotrigona apicalis, which, regardless of the region, has a preference for the Dipterocarpus species. Further studies of a larger number of propolis samples from different bee species and different regions are needed in order to reveal and confirm the potentional relationship between bee species and propolis chemistry.

The study was funded by Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology through a bilateral project, Code Number QTBG01.01/20-21.

Propolis is a resinous material collected by honeybees from plants exudates and has range of biological properties. The geographical location of propolis collection influences its chemical composition, resulting in variations in biological activity. In the present study we analysed the relationship between geographic location of collection, chemical composition, and biological activity of propolis. We used SPSS as a statistical tool to examine selected flavonoids and phenolics for their individual concentration as well as their total content and biological activities i.e., anti-microbial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and antioxidant activity by DPPH assay. Three climatic zones have been classified- temperate, subtropical and tropical. For this meta-data analysis, we selected chemicals such as CAPE, pinocembrin, pinobanksin, galangin, naringenin, chrysin, quercetin, apigenin, cinnamic acid, coumaric acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid. We observed that, the phenolics have stronger anti-microbial activity as compared to flavonoids and vice-verse for anti-oxidant activity. We also noticed that, total phenolic content is often around 1.5 times higher than flavonoid content in almost all climatic zones. Higher levels of cinnamates were observed in propolis from tropical regions which had better anti-microbial potential, whereas, temperate propolis with higher levels of flavonoids exhibited better anti-oxidant potential.

Acknowledgement: The project was funded by Innovate UK under Knowledge transfer partnership between University of Bradford and Nature’s Laboratory Limited.

We hope you have enjoyed this afternoon's presentations! Please stick around for some live discussion from this afternoon's speakers.

Introductions to the day from the IPRG's Chairman, James Fearnley

Bee products, especially propolis, have been used by humans as natural medicine since ancient times. However, propolis varies with bee species and with the flora that bees visit to collect bioactive exudates. In recent years, efforts have been made towards standardization of propolis, and some of the resulting products have been tested in clinical trials. Along this line, we present the results of safety and efficacy clinical studies done for EPP-AF® propolis. This includes an acute safety clinical trial with 14 healthy volunteers given 375 mg of EPP-AF® for 5 days. Antioxidant effects were evaluated with 34 healthy volunteers who received two different doses (375 or 750 mg/day) of EPP-AF® during 7 ± 2 days. Protection of renal function was also evaluated with a dosage of 500 mg/day, administered for 12 months to chronic kidney disease patients. Also, the time of hospitalization after treatment with propolis of 82 COVID-19 patients was measured. The results demonstrated that EPP-AF® is safe and improved the values of HDL. EPP-AF reduced biomarkers of oxidative stress cell damage, with increased antioxidant enzymatic capacity, especially of SOD, and there was a notable reduction of membrane damage (8-ISO/8-isoprostanes) and of DNA damage (8-OHDG/8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine). In the evaluation of renal function protection, proteinuria, the biomarker used, was reduced, becoming significantly lower after 6 months of treatment, improving the condition of patients with chronic kidney disease. Finally, the hospitalization time of COVID-19 patients was reduced to 7 and 6 days, after receiving 400 and 800 mg/day, respectively, for 7 days, compared to 12 days for the control group. These, and other clinical trials using propolis conducted around the world are increasing the robustness of the scientific evidence for propolis as a valuable and safe healthcare resource that doctors and other health professionals can use for patient care.

Brief review of ISO and its directives: The history and other basic knowledge of ISO; 2. The establishment of ISO/TC 34/SC 19 Bee Products: the scope of ISO/TC 34 Foods and the milestone of ISO/TC 34/SC 19. The application of its establishment was in 2016 and the approval was in 2017. The first plenary meeting was held in 2018 in Nanjing, China, etc ; 3. The structure and current work of ISO/TC 34/SC 19: It has 4 working groups and 2 ad hoc groups which working on 5 projects. 5. How to participate: contact your national body and the information can be found at www.iso.org or contact the committee manager Mme. Xuan Li at xuanli@njucm.edu.cn for more information.

Andresa Aparecida Berretta, Jéssica Aparecida Lima, Isabella Salgado Gonçalves, Soraia I. Falcão, Ricardo Calhelha, Lilian Barros, Nathália Ursoli Ferreira, Nathaly Amorim Alcazar, Juliana Correa, Hernane da Silva Barud, Miguel Vilas-Boas, David De Jong, Jairo Kenupp Bastos.

The organic and functional food market grows every year. Organic food comes from sustainable and ecofriendly production, while functional foods provide some health benefits. Bees produces propolis from bioactive plant substances aiming to protect the hive and its inhabitants. Various biological activities for this material have been described, justifying interest in this product for health promotion. However, propolis generally has poor bioavailability, as it is relatively insoluble in water. Its most common form of presentation has the disadvantages of ethanol content and a strong and striking taste. Consequently, technological alternatives that can increase solubility with efficacy and safety, and that meet organic production specifications, are a challenge. We examined the possibility of organic propolis-loaded microcapsules as a functional health-food ingredient. Microcapsules were obtained using spray-dryer technology, with an emulsion based on propolis (EPP-AF®) and acacia gum (40:60). The propolis-loaded microcapsules were characterized using FT-IR, SEM, TGA, HPLC and spectrophotometric techniques, along with the determination of antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antihypercholesterolemic activities in in vitro models. Propolis-loaded microcapsules were successfully obtained, with spherical shape and encapsulation efficiency of 93.7±0.7%, presenting IC50 of 2.654±0.062 and 7.342±0.058 μg/mL by FRAP and DPPH antioxidant methods respectively; they had superior antimicrobial activity against gram-positive strains. Antitumor activity was calculated based on the concentration that inhibited 50% of cellular growth (GI50) in AGS, Caco2 and MCF-7 strains, giving results of 154.0±1.0, 117±1.0 and 271.0±25 μg/mL, respectively. Propolis-loaded microcapsules reduced the permeation of cholesterol by 53.7%, demonstrating antihypercholesterolemic activity and gave an IC50 of 59.0±0.1 μg/mL for NO production in RAW264.7 cells. These results demonstrate the potential of this new disposition to be offered as a food and pharmaceutical ingredient, though additional studies are recommended in order to validate the safety of proposed dosages.

Ralitza Chimshirova(1), Milena Popova(1), Amina Chakir(2), Violeta Valcheva(3), Simeon Dimitrov(3), Boryana Trusheva(1), Vassya Bankova(1)

1 - Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.
2 - Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco.
3 - The Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Propolis is widely used as a natural remedy, and as an active ingredient in various cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical preparations. However, its activity is due to various plant metabolites as its chemistry depends strongly on the vegetation around the beehives. The knowledge of the chemical composition of propolis from different geographical and climatic regions is of primary importance in respect to its pharmacological efficacy and safety use. In the current study, we report for the first time results on the detailed chemical analysis of propolis collected from semi-arid region of Morocco. The results revealed that the propolis displays specific chemical composition with triterpenoids and ingol diterpenes, a combination typical for the latex of Euphorbia spp., which has also never been proven as a source for propolis production. Fifteen compounds were isolated and characterized, incl. two new natural derivatives and seven newly isolated from propolis. Most of the compounds exhibited very good antimicrobial activity against different strains of bacteria and fungi. However, having in mind that the latex of Euphorbis spp is known to possesses skin irritating effect, further special attention should be paid in respect to the possibilities for application and safety use of this specific propolis type.

Acknowledgments: The work was supported by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science under the National Research Programme “Young scientists and postdoctoral students” approved by DCM # 577/17.08.2018.

In the last recent year propolis gained lot off interest. As a natural product, propolis is regarded as a safe substance with a large spectrum of biological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune stimulant, anticancer etc. Propolis chemical composition is extremely complex and depends mainly on geographic and botanical origin. More than 500 compounds have been isolated and identified till now.
However, few studies have been performed on Algerian propolis. The lack of investigations concerning both its chemical composition and biological properties are limiting its potential uses and applications. We reported in the present presentation our main results concerning investigation of chemical composition, biological properties and botanical origin of Algerian propolis.

We hope you have enjoyed this mornings presentations! Please stick around for some live discussion from this morning's speakers.

The establishment of international standards require the use of analytical procedures able to produce reliable outputs with good levels of repeatability and reproducibility. The propolis working group of the technical subcommittee of International Standard Organization, ISO/TC 34/SC 19 – WG2, is designing the first international standard for propolis, and setting specific quality parameters for ethanolic extractable, loss on drying, ash, wax content, total phenolic and total flavonoids content, phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity. In order to define reliable parameters, an interlaboratorial trial was set up with 14 laboratories around the globe, under the supervision of an independent organization, and researching on three types of samples: brown propolis from Populus, green from Baccharis and red from Dalbergia/Symphonia/Clusia. The majority of the laboratories presented consistent results, with the coefficient of variation below 20%, and even below 10% for the ethanolic extraction ash and wax. With this work, it was possible to establish minimum/maximum limits for each parameter as move a step forward to standardize propolis in the international trade.

Bee products are inexhaustible sources of bioactive molecules. There are extensively used in folk medicine for the prevention and self-treatment of several diseases and has become actually the objective of many scientific investigations. Different biological and pharmacological effects of propolis have been referred to their antioxidant, antibacterial, antitumoral, anti-inflammatory agents, antihyperglycemic effect and renal disease protection. Oxidative stress is believed to be responsible for the occurrence of several pathologies.

Phytochemical analysis of propolis extracts showed the presence of several natural antioxidants belonging to different chemical groups: flavonoids, phenolic acids, flavonols, and stilbenes. These may be responsible for the documented efficacy of propolis extracts in protecting biochemical characteristics and enzymatic activities of kidneys and liver tissues from alterations induced by xenobiotics. Overall, daily intake of propolis and/or honey could offer promising protective effects on hepatic and renal functions, as well as maintaining the redox homeostasis. Scientific reports from our laboratory have shown that bee products have a wide chemical composition and multi-functional properties. In this context, and in order to understand the relationship between biomolecules from beehive products and their functional potential, we investigated the antioxidant properties of propolis, it’s capacities for preventing lipid peroxidation and scavenging free radicals was generally correlated with their phytochemical screening. It was also shown that simultaneous treatment with honey or propolis extract alone or in association prevented changes caused by gentamicin administration and improved hepatic and renal functions. Changes caused by gentamicin administration, observed by in vivo experiments, include significant elevation of uric acid, urea, creatinine, and hepatic enzyme levels (ALT, AST, and ALP) and kidney biochemical changes (an increase of urea, uric acid, and creatinine and a decrease of albumin and total protein) as well as remarkable changes of renal and liver oxidative stress markers (CAT, GPx, and GSH) and elevation of MDA levels.

Further investigations would be needed to evaluate and understand the exact mechanism by which these extracts, possibly phenolic compounds, improve gentamicin-cause oxidative stress and hepatorenal injuries.

Overall, it can be concluded that honey and propolis might be useful in the management of liver and renal diseases induced by xenobiotics. These results pave the way for controlled clinical studies and the use of their combination might potentiate their activities

We conducted functional evaluation and identification of Thailand stingless bee propolis components. Among its nine isolated xanthones, α-mangostin and γ-mangostin were shown to strongly inhibit tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, an indication of antiangiogenic activity in vitro. We further investigated their effects at the molecular level to understand why they inhibited angiogenesis. (Collaborators: Eriko Ishizu-Nagashima, Sari Honda, Boonyadist Vongsak, Shigenori Kumazawa)

Propolis is a natural resin substance collected by honeybees. The chemical compounds from propolis depend on diverse plant sources and region. Based on previous research, overall, it is known that there are more than three hundred types of chemical compounds contained in propolis. The most common types of chemical compounds contained in propolis are polyphenols and flavonoids. This study is aimed at identifying the presence of marker compounds in Indonesian propolis and seeing whether there are groupings of Indonesian propolis types. In this study, the total polyphenol (TPC) and the total flavonoid content (TFC) was measured, also identifications and the mapping of chemical compounds contained in Indonesian propolis was done. Chemical compounds identifications were carried out using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Chemical compounds mapping was done by discriminant analysis method using TQ Analyst from FTIR results and the PCA (Principal Component Analysis) method using XLSTAT from the results of the LC-MS/MS. The results of this study were the discovery of 15 potential marker compounds from Indonesian propolis and the grouping of Indonesian propolis from the mapping of chemical compounds.

Propolis is produced and used by Apis mellifera bees. Several biological activities have been demonstrated, mainly with the most traditional extraction process using an alcohol solution as a solvent. Although this type of solvent commonly offers the most useful chemical profile and high biomarker values, the alcohol content is considered inappropriate. Several alternative solvents have been proposed. However, the challenge is to equate the chemical profile, efficacy, and safety with that of the traditional alcohol version. An EPP-AF® propolis glycolic extract was obtained by evaporating the alcohol solvent from the EPP-AF® alcoholic extract, using controlled temperature and reduced pressure, with propylene glycol as a solvent. Total phenolics and flavonoids were determined according to colorimetric methods using gallic acid and quercetin as biomarkers, with procedures validated according to the Brazilian agency ANVISA’s guidelines. The chemical profile was also compared by HPLC and TLC procedures. Antimicrobial activity was determined using the inhibition zone model, and antioxidant activity was measured by FRAP and DPPH methodologies. Also, anti-inflammatory action was evaluated by measuring IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-alpha in narrow bone macrophages stimulated with LPS. The validation covered selectivity, accuracy, intra-day and inter-day precision, linearity, range, quantification, detection limits, and robustness. There was equivalent antimicrobial action against S. aureus and S. epidermidis and antioxidant activity. IL-6 and TNF-alpha, inflammatory cytokines, were reduced in a dose-dependent manner for both extracts, in the range of 16.7, 50, and 150 µg/mL, which were not cytotoxic for macrophage cells. The stability studies demonstrated a shelf-life of 24 months, as the biomarkers were below the maximum limit of degradation of 15%, following ANVISA regulations.

The present work prepared and characterized microcapsules loaded with greenish-brown propolis extract from Alagoas-Brazil using analytical methods: UV-vis, UFLC-DAD-UV, FTIR, SEM, Thermal Analysis, total flavonoids and phenols content, antioxidant activity and antibacterial. The greenish-brown propolis extract and its microcapsules presented total flavonoid content of 5.15% and 1.13%, total phenols of 14.16 and 4.81% in terms of gallic acid, total phenols of 16 .53% and 6.00% in terms of catechin, antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 13.77 µg/mL and 60.80 µg/mL, respectively. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UFLC-DAD-UV-Vis) identified presence of chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, naringenin, luteolin and kaempferol. The SEM and FTIR data showed encapsulation of the phenolic compounds of the greenish-brown propolis from Alagoas and the thermal analysis showed the stability of the studied extracts. The dichloromethane fractions of the greenish-brown propolis extract and its microcapsules showed greater antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 33591) compared to Providencia rettgeri (ATCC 29944). Dissolution studies also showed interaction of flavonoids from microcapsules with the excipients used in the preparation of solid compositions. This work demonstrates the potential and biological properties of greenish-brown propolis from Alagoas and changes in strategies necessary for spray-dryer solid products of greenish-brown propolis from Alagoas

We hope you have enjoyed this afternoon's presentations! Please stick around for some live discussion from this afternoon's speakers.

Introductions to the day from the IPRG's Chairman, James Fearnley

A large body of evidence suggests that propolis exerts antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, mostly ascribed to its polyphenol content. Growing evidence suggests that propolis could modulate gut microbiota exerting a positive impact on several pathological conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro impact of a poplar-type propolis extract with a standardized polyphenol content, on the composition and functionality of gut microbiota obtained from fecal material of five different donors (healthy adults, and healthy, obese, celiac, and food allergic children).

Propolis displays a range of salutogenic properties, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, including modulation of the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and increasing antioxidants enzymes. Thus, propolis can be an excellent nutritional therapeutic to mitigate inflammation, common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this lecture, the possible salutogenic effects of propolis for patients with CKD will be presented.

Despite the benefits of the antiretroviral therapy (ART), its prolonged use and earlier initiation indicate the need of interventions to reduce its harmful effects, specially regarding the oxidative stress, which contributes to accelerate the inflammaging, a commonly phenomenon observed in people living with HIV/aids (PLWHA). Propolis is a bee product exhibiting several properties such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. This work aimed at evaluating whether the daily use of propolis could affect the metabolic/biochemical, nutritional and inflammatory/immune profile of PLWHA. A double blind study enrolled 40 virologically suppressed PLHWA: 20 under intake of 500mg/day of propolis and 20 placebo. Blood samples and medical records were collected at two periods of time, before and after three months of intervention. There were no changes in the food pattern during the intervention nor side effects or complaints, showing that that the daily intake of propolis (500mg/day for 3 months) is safe for asymptomatic PLVHA on ART. The viral load remained undetectable, showing no propolis interference in the therapeutic treatment. T CD4⁺/CD8⁺ cell count remained elevated. Propolis increased magnesium concentration, lymphocyte proliferation and led to an anti-inflammatory profile. Such findings were not associated to sociodemographic and therapeutic features, nor to changes in food habits.

In my talk I'd like to present the recent data published from my team and colleagues of INMI Spallanzani (Rome) in Biomedicines (IF: 5.61) and Frontiers in Microbiology (IF: 5.64) about the very interesting effect of a chemically characterized Euroasian propolis extract in vitro tests. In detail we demonstrated the superiority of the whole phytocomplex compared to single compound in inhibiting overexpression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in LPS-stimulated human PMBC and for its anti Sars-CoV2 effect.

Molecular mechanism will be elucidated

There are important discoveries of bioactive substances in propolis with positive and beneficial results for health, around the mechanisms of action of propolis. Although there are scientific works about the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, bactericidal, fungicidal, anticarcinogenic and antiviral properties of propolis, we still find few studies addressing the action of propolis and its extracts in humans, especially in sepsis. This study aims to evaluate the effect of Brazilian Green Propolis on the serum level of inflammatory markers in septic patients admitted to the hospital, correlating it with mortality, length of stay in Hospitalar and time of drug use. vasoactive. The main hypothesis of the study is that the administration of green propolis in the first 24 hours of the sepsis diagnosis and for a period of 10 days can decrease the levels of inflammatory markers and, consequently, the morbidity outcomes. , mortality and hospital-free days. The primary outcome will be the action of propolis on the inflammatory state of patients with sepsis from COVID-19 and other etiologies, admitted to a philanthropic hospital. As a secondary outcome, the action of propolis on length of hospital stay, mortality, days free of mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drug.

We hope you have enjoyed this mornings presentations! Please stick around for some live discussion from this morning's speakers.

In this paper we present the characteristics and the principles of the effective use of propolis in clinical practice.

Scientists from all over the world have found that propolis, due to its extremely rich composition in useful, natural, pharmacologically active compounds has many useful properties and thus possible uses.

TBC

Recently, there has been an increasing interest to develop a new non-ethanolic extraction method because of certain disadvantages of ethanolic extracts. We evaluated the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds of propolis extracts prepared at different concentrations of lactic acid in comparison with ethanol. Following the determination of total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity analyses, individual phenolic compounds in extracts and digested samples were determined. During in vitro digestion experiments, chrysin and naringenin were found as the major phenolic compounds in the initial samples. Pinocembrin was the most bioaccessible component among the dialyzed fractions of both ethanol and lactic acid-based solutions whereas some compounds were not detected at all. Due to the very low pH values of lactic acid-based solutions, preliminary experiments were carried out to mimic the pH levels of stomach and intestinal phases, and it was observed that lactic acid-based solutions showed higher antioxidant activity when diluted by 50% before digestion. The results suggest that lactic acid may be used as an alternative to ethanol for propolis extraction.

Keywords: Antioxidant; Extraction; Lactic acid; Propolis; Phenolics

This study aimed at investigating the gastro-protective effects of Algerian Sahara (Sidr) honey from Apis mellifera intermissa against HCl/Ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in rats. Material and Methods: Total phenolic content, antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds were determined. Than, Three groups of rats (control, HCl/ Ethanol induced ulcer, and orally administered honey) were used for the determination of gastro protective effect of Sidr honey. Results: Total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and DPPH activity of honey sample was determined as 47.35±3.35 mg GAE/ 100 g, 2.13±0.17 mg QE/ 100 g, and 229.24±0.02 mg/mL, respectively. Oral pretreatment of rats with honey (1.2 g/Kg body weight orally at interval of 2 days) protected gastric mucosa against HCl/Ethanol induced damage by decreasing ulcer score, the volume and acidity of gastric juice and increasing pH. Conclusion: These results were confirmed by the histological assessment which demonstrated a significant gastro protective activity of Saharian (Sidr) honey against HCl/Ethanol-induced stomach ulcer. Plasma tumor necrosis factor-!, IL-6 and PGE2were also measured. Sahara honeys significantly decreased the plasma TNF-!, PGE2, and IL-6 concentrations. Keywords: Gastric ulcer, Sahara honey, HCl/Ethanol, ulcer score, TNF, IL-6, PGE2

Many commercial preparations have been developed due to the determination of the beneficial biological effects of propolis in the health field. In these propolis products, different solvents are used in extraction and in the final product. It is thought that long-term use of these solvents can damage vital tissues such as the liver. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of using commercial propolis extracts that are widely used and sold for one to three months on liver enzymes. In the study, 56 adult female Wistar albino rats were divided into 7 groups. For 30 and 90 days, propolis ethyl alcohol, propylene

glycol and oil and water-based propolis (250 mg / kg / day) were given to the groups orally by gavage. At the end of the research, liver enzyme levels such as GGT, AST, ALT, ALP were determined in blood samples taken from rats. According to the results obtained; At the end of the first month, the enzyme activities of the rats in the alcohol-based propolis group were found to be significantly higher than those of the control and other groups in terms of LDH, AST, ALT and ALP enzymes.

Propolis is popular for its health beneficial properties most especially, for its antimicrobial activity. 27-Hydroxymangiferonic acid (1), Ambolic acid (2) and Mangiferonic acid (3) were isolated from Anti-quorum sensing activity at MIC indicated that the most active sample was the extract with inhibition diameter zone of 18.0±1.0 mm, while compounds 1, 2 and 3 had inhibition zones of 12.0±0.5 mm, 9.0±1.0 mm and 12.3±1.0 mm respectively. The samples inhibited the P. aeruginosa PA01 swarming motility at the three tested concentrations (50, 75 and 100 μg/ml) in a dose-dependent manner. The propolis extract was able to inhibit biofilm formation by S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, C. albicans and C. tropicalis at MIC concentration, compound 1 showed biofilm inhibition on S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, E. faecalis, E. coli and C. tropicalis at MIC and MIC/2, compound 2 inhibited the formation of biofilm at MIC on S. aureus, E. faecalis, E. coli, S. typhi, C. albicans and C. tropicalis, compound 3 inhibited biofilm formation on E. faecalis, E. coli, C. albicans and C. tropicalis and further biofilm inhibition on E. coli at MIC/4 and MIC/8. The results indicate that propolis and its compounds can reduce virulence factors of pathogenic bacteria.

This presentation is about a rare case of oral hemangioma on the dorsal surface of the tongue. Oral hemangiomas often cause symptoms such as pain, bleeding, difficulty chewing and breathing. The patient was treated with conventional surgical procedures and was asked to apply postoperative application of propolis extract on the surgical wound. Throughout the recovery period, the patient noted the lack of pain in the surgical wound to the point that she opted to not consume the prescribed the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). The patient also had a noticeable improvement in terms of wound healing. Propolis appears to be a suitable adjunctive treatment for oral applications.

Dental caries was known caused by various factors. One of them is cariogenic bacteria Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans). An effort that we can do as therapeutic action for against dental caries is restoration. Until now, glass ionomer cements (GIC) are the most commonly used by dentist as dental material for restoration. This material has an antibacterial effect against a small spectrum of microorganisms and a low bactericidal potential. Recently, many in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that propolis, a natural resinous material collected by honey bees from various plant, has potential for use in the treatment of bacterial diseases because of it antibacterial activity. Therefore the aim of the present study was to investigate whether adding ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEP) might influence the antibacterial activity of conventional GIC used as restorative filling toward S.mutans growth. Raw propolis was collected from honey bee combs in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Propolis was subjected to maseration process to get EEP, which was then diluted to 2.5%; 5%; and 10% concentrations. Aquadest and GIC liquid were also used as negative and positive control solution. 0.1 ml EEP from each concentration was added into 0.1 ml GIC liquid. After that, paper disc was soaked in each liquid test and inserted in medium Mueller Hinton agar containing cultured S.mutans followed by incubated for 24 and 48 hours at 37°C. Antibacterial activity was reflected by the diameter of the inhibition zones which occurred around the paper disc. Data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and LSD tests with significance level of 5%. The results showed that after incubated for 24 and 48 hours, there was significant difference (P<0.05) between inhibition zone of GIC which added with 5% and 10% EEP compared negative and positive control. In conclusion, that addition of 5% and 10% EEP solution to GIC liquid increased GIC antibacterial activity toward S.mutans growth in vitro.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of conversion and bond strength of a commercial dental adhesive modified by the incorporation of quercetin, resveratrol (RES), and Brazilian red propolis (BRP). Single Bond 2 adhesive (3M ESPE) was modified by adding BRP, quercetin, and RES, separately, at 20 µg/mL, 250 µg/mL, and 500 µg/mL, respectively. The degree of conversion (DC) was measured using near-infrared spectroscopy 24 h after photopolymerization. resin-dentin Microtensile bond strength (µTBS) measurements were carried out after 1 day and 1 year. Student’s t test and ANOVA with Tukey’s test were used for data analysis (α = 0.05). The DC of the tested adhesives remained adequate for this category of material, with a slight increase in the DC of adhesives with quercetin and BRP (P > 0.05). Comparisons between µTBS measurements made at 1 day and 1 year showed that, contrary to the control group, µTBS values for all modified adhesives were maintained after 1 year in distilled water (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that quercetin, RES, or BRP might be useful in adhesive dentistry to help improve hybrid layer resistance.

We hope you have enjoyed this afternoon's presentations! Please stick around for some live discussion from this afternoon's speakers.

This years sponsors include:

• Wholesome™
• CC Pollen
• ABEMEL
• B Natural
• BeeVital
• Apis Flora®

Closing remarks from the IPRG's board. With huge thanks to all attendees, speakers, directors, sponsors, and those behind-the-scenes for making this years conference happen. We hope the event was enjoyed by all - we encourage you to continue the conversation on HiveChat!