Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Propolis is one of the most fascinating honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) products. It is a plant derived product that bees
produce from resins that they collect from different plant organs and with which they mix beeswax. Propolis is a building
material and a protective agent in the bee hive. It also plays an important role in honey bee social immunity, and is
widely used by humans as an ingredient of nutraceuticals, over-the-counter preparations and cosmetics. Its chemical
composition varies by geographic location, climatic zone and local flora. The understanding of the chemical diversity of
propolis is very important in propolis research. In this manuscript, we give an overview of the available methods for
studying propolis in different aspects: propolis in the bee colony; chemical composition and plant sources of propolis;
biological activity of propolis with respect to bees and humans; and approaches for standardization and quality control
for the purposes of industrial application.
Description
Keywords
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Bankova, Vassya; Bertelli, Davide; Borba, Renata; Conti, Bruno José; Cunha, Ildenize Barbosa da Silva; Danert, Carolina; Eberlin, Marcos Nogueira; Falcão, Soraia; Isla, María Inés; Moreno, María Inés Nieva; Papotti, Giulia; Popova, Milena; Santiago, Karina Basso; Salas, Ana; Sawaya, Alexandra Christine Helena Franklan; Schwab, Nicolas Vilczaki; Sforcin, José Maurício; Simone-Finstrom, Michael; Spivak, Marla; Trusheva, Boryana; Vilas-Boas, Miguel; Wilson, Michael; Zampini, Catiana (2019). Standard methods for Apis mellifera propolis research. Journal of Apicultural Research. ISSN 0021-8839. 58:2, p. 1-49