Propolis

Propolis

The miraculous healing  properties of propolis

 Propolis is a strongly adhesive resinous substance harvested by honeybees from different parts of plants such as shoots, buds and resinous exudates. Collected by the oldest bees, the resins are brought back to the hive and mixed with ax and salivary secretions before using to protect the hive against infection.

Called “bee glue”, propolis is used by the bees to varnish the hive interior, seal cracks and cement things together. Propolis is made by bees to protect the hive against the physical and biological factors affecting both bees and honey. These may include light, air and moisture which can change the composition... 

 and quality of honey and may also affect bees in cold seasons. Propolis protect the hive from light which may alter all the photochemical compounds in honey, the dark color of propolis may stop light from entering the hive. Propolis is also mastic material which protects the hive from moisture and air, theses factors may encourage the water intake by honey so the aw (activity of water) of honey may increase and the fermentation starts in honey because of the high sugar content to give alcohol. The anti oxidant power of propolis due to the high content in flavonoids which are natural antioxidants is the main factor that would make propolis a high curing material.

Propolis is used by bees to protect the hive against insects and all the living creatures from entering the hive. Small living creatures entering the hive are killed and the debris are discarded out of the hive but heavy strange materials which bees cannot transport outside the hive are mummified by coating them with propolis. Imagine that if a mouse comes in the hive it can be mummified by bees using the propolis. The waxy material called propolis may vary in colour and taste but it cannot vary in the physical properties being elasticity for well adhering to the material, being dark opaque for hiding the light to strike directly the hive and also being impermeable for avoiding water to come in contact with honey. The high antiseptic activity of propolis plays a role in the sanitation of the hive.

The broad physical composition of propolis may vary with regions and the type of trees from which the resins are collected. Mainly propolis contains approximately 55% resinous compounds and balms, 30 % beeswax, 10% aromatic essential oils, and 5% bee pollen. These proportions are susceptible to variations in nature and in amounts since their collection is depending on the person who collects propolis. Normally beekeepers may collect propolis while harvesting honey, so when the hive is opened beekeepers take the advantage to collect some propolis form the inside and border of the hive. This type of propolis is different in composition from the propolis collected by the screen method (traps) after harvesting. There is a special period for propolising and bees who are forced to make propolis get tired and may give a low quality propolis. Beekeepers are used to place a screen which is a drilled screen on the hive. The bees cannot work in the presence of light and air, so they quickly fill the holes with propolis. The screens are removed and propolis is collected. This way may give pure propolis with less strange materials such as debris, dead bees, much waxes and grass or wood parts but if applied more than three cycles or periods continuously bees get stressed. 

Even if propolis contains some nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins and trace elements, it is not considered as a food product. Propolis is a medicinal product rather than a food or cosmetic compound. Because propolis is a source of antioxidant factors, it would contain more than 38 valuable bioflavonoids. These compounds are responsible of the healing properties of several diseases including microbial and viral infections. Propolis is unlike drugs such as penicillin, is always effective, so no bacteria can show a tolerance to it in terms of anti-bioresistance. It as used During the Boer war (1899-1902) along with honey to treat the soldiers wounds and injuries. Propolis is known to have a stimulating effect on tissue growth, anti-inflammatory properties and a positive influence on the immune system.

It is also known that flavonoids may inhibit the smooth muscles which helps in avoiding sclerotic lesions inside the blood vessels as well as binding the free reactive oxygen. Flavonoids may also inhibit the enzymes such as the protein kinase C, lipoxygenase-5 and the release of the interleukin B1. The most interesting properties of flavonoids is the inactivation of the Xanthine oxydase which is the enzyme leading to the carcinogenic formations in the body.

Used for medicinal purposes since the antiquity, propolis has shown various medicinal properties, such as anti-microbial activities, protective effect against radiation-induced damage, anti-mutagenic effect, antianti-hyperalgesic action and anti-inflammatory activity, anti-parasitary, anti-carcinogenic and immunomodulation action. There are various literature data about antiviral action too. Studies of its antiviral properties have concentrated mainly on herpes simplex virus, influenza virus and anti-HIV  activity. Recently we demonstrated the viral activities on the hepatitis C and B viruses in vivo. Our research concentrated on some other important virtues of propolis as a natural healing material, so best results were obtained for anaemia in children and pregnant ladies, cancers and blood plaques in people receiving strong protocols of drug treatments.

Propolis constitutive characteristics, however, can vary according to the bee species, period of the year in which it is collected and, especially the botanic origin. While propolis is produced from a variety of plants, the botanic origin of most  propolis available in the market is not known. Only one plant species, Baccharis dracunculifolia, is a well known source of propolis, although several genera, i.e. Populus, Clusia and Araucaria, are regarded as additional sources of propolis. Moroccan black propolis is mainly produced from a plant commonly known as “Daghmous” (Euphorbia resinifera) a large, leafless cactus-like perennial, native of the Anti-Atlas Mountains in Morocco. This species is not adapted to the natural conditions of other countries, and which confers to the Moroccan black propolis chemical and biological characteristics different from the European propolis, produced predominantly from the exudates of buds of aspen (Populus sp.). The medicinal use of Euphorbium, the dried latex of E. resinifera, reflects a history more than 2000 years ago, which makes resiniferatoxin (RTX) one of the most ancient drugs still in use today. Recent researches proved some of the medicinal uses of E. resinifera, including antiviral action.

In our research on patients suffering from many diseases we could fell and prove  the effect of Moroccan propolis from Euphorbia resinifera (see the paper) The activity of this kind of propolis is reinforced by the medicinal activities of the plant E. resinifera. It may act as a combined effect of propolis and phytothearpy. The only one propolis from a very known origin is the Euphorbia propolis. This is due to the existence of Euphorbia in the mountain alone and that bees installed in the region cannot find any other plant for propolising except the latex of Euphorbia. The taste is very bitter and the propolis is not easy to be administered to patients. They have to be trained to the taste before taking Euphorbia propolis. Through five years using this kind of propolis we observed some mild allergies in some patients such as itching face swallowing, low tension and tachycardia, but we could realize that these allergies were due to some compounds from Euphorbia.

Some authors may argue that the origin of  honey is not important and all kinds of honey are suitable for healing diseases. We may contest this hypothesis and mountain honey is better than honey of the whole flowers or forest honey. Some plats give more efficient honey than others such as Honey form thyme, Euphorbia, Nigella, Ziziphus, coriander and many other plants. The colour of honey is also an important factor in the activity of honey. Dark honeys are better than Claire honeys. This is most probably due to the photochemicals in honey and which are in high concentrations in dark honeys such as flavonoids and carotenes. These compounds are in low concentrations in Claire honeys because they may compose under the light exposition.   

Propolis cannot be used directly because of the waxy aspect and the soapy taste as well as the purity and some other factors. Unfortunately propolis is not water soluble and the only solvent which can extract propolis is ethanol. The ethanol extract cannot be used for oral administration because of the trace amounts of ethanol which cannot be entirely removed by evaporating the extract. Ethanol extract can be used only for cosmetics and external uses. Propolis is weakly soluble in vegetal oils, and propolis oil ointments are the most used for administering propolis by oral or rectal ways. It also recommended that propolis be not heated at more than 45 degree Celsius. The antibiotics and biological active compounds in propolis are thermo labile or much more sensitive to high temperatures.

Propolis is used for curing all the diseases, crude entire propolis is the most efficient and the activity is higher than extracted propolis rather by ethanol or any other solvent including some vegetal oils. The patients cannot swallow propolis directly. But if they can do it is the most suitable method to heal diseases. The crude propolis can be chewed until it is entirely swallowed, but it should be cleaned first and the strange materials removed such as dead bees, debris, grass parts etc.. This operation can take too much time but it is better than propolis ointment. In case people cannot take the crude propolis, then it is recommended to use propolis oil extract mixed with honey to well reinforce the healing procedure.

Propolis can be used for all the diseases, no or rare side effects are shown by propolis. The amount and the origin of propolis are very determinant in the healing procedures by propolis. Too much amounts of propolis are harmful for people suffering from kidneys, heart and lever (cirrhosis). But the list of diseases propolis can be used for is too long and mostly the known disease may include: 

Cancers, Asthma, Allergies, Anaemia, Sclerosis, Arteriosclerosis, Atherosclerosis, Hepatitis B and C, Fibroids, Cyst Herpes, Psoriasis, Eczema, Tooth,Angina, Ears, Wounds

Propolis must be used in parallel with a dietarotherapy program for best results. In most cases a severe diet made of vegetables cooked appropriately in olive oil may help curing all the diseases. All sources of fat and animal proteins should be avoided. Frying and microwave cooking should be also avoided. Other practices such as the cupping therapy and phytotherapy can be also applied for completing the healing procedure.

It should be pointed out here that propolis, royal jelly, honey and pollen can never give a best result without combining with dietarotherapy and phytotherapy. People who want to use these procedure may know that three therapies are better than one, Apithearpy may help curing all the diseases but never in the presence of an inappropriate diet, but when the diet is well defined and the factors increasing the apoptosis and immunity of the body are combined together and used in parallel, then the healing procedure can reach high efficiency.