Applying GC-MS analysis to identify chemical composition of Iranian propolis prepared with different solvent and evaluation of its biological activity

Background: Propolis as a natural product has shown beneficial effects on human health. This study was aimed to investigate the chemical compositions and biological activity of three different extracts of propolis from two distinct geographic areas in Iran. Methods: The chemical composition of Iranian propolis extracts that were collected in the Spring of 2016 from two provinces in northern Iran: Ardabil and Polur in Mazandaran Province were measured through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods. In addition, antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity effect on HN5 and LNCaP cell lines were evaluated. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and p<0.05 was considered as significant. Results: The GC-MS analysis identified the presence of compounds that belonged to the different groups such as aromatics acids and their related esters, flavonoid and flavonoid derivatives and terpenes. Flavanone was the most dominant compound of flavonoids. The maximum growth inhibition was observed against S. aureus of ethanolic extract of propolis (p<0.05). Moreover, cytotoxicity showed that ethanolic and dichloromethane extracts had more inhibitory effects on cell lines than the water extract. Conclusion: The results determined that extracts had the highest percentage of flavonoids. Therefore, it is expected that the synergistic effect of the main components of propolis is related to the increase of biological activity of propolis

The effect of aqueous and ethanolic extract of Iranian propolis on Candida Albicans isolated from the mouth of patients with colorectal malignancy undergone chemotherapy: An in-vitro study

Background: Candidiasis is one of the most common fungal infections in immunosuppressed patients. The condition is usually treated with local and systemic antifungal agents. Given the antifungal properties of propolis, it appears this natural resin material can be effective in treating this infection. The aim of the present in vitro study was to compare the effect of Iranian propolis with those of routine antifungal agents on Candida species isolated from the oral candida lesions of patients with cancer, who had undergone chemotherapy, and a standard strain of Candida albicans. Methods: A total of 23 samples were collected from the oral cavities of patients with colorectal cancer, who had undergone chemotherapy with 5-fu. The fungal species were determined based on the results of culture in C. albicans chromagar medium, formation of the germ tube and formation of vesicles. The MIC of aqueous extract propolis (AEP) and ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) and amphotericin B (AMP-B), fluconazole (FL) and nystatin (NYS) were compared. Results: A total of 23 oral C. albicans samples were isolated. The MICs of FL and AMP- B were similar and less than those of EEP, AEP and NYS (P<0.001). In addition, the MIC of AEP was higher than EEP (P<0.001). The MIC of AMP- B on the strains isolated from the patients was more than that of the standard strain (P=0.012). Conclusion: The aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Iranian propolis exhibited antifungal activity, with a greater effect of the EEP compared to the AEP. &#160