Preparation and utilization of Nano-Propolis Active Compounds, their Biological function and application

Project leaders

Luisa Pozzo, Azza Anwar Amin Hussein

Agreement

EGITTO - ASRT - Academy of Scientific Research and Technology

Call

CNR/ASRT biennio 2018-2019 2018-2019

Department

Biology, agriculture and food sciences

Thematic area

Biology, agriculture and food sciences

Status of the project

New

Research proposal

Research Proposal:

A lot of these compounds are produced via chemical synthesis causing undesirable free radicals which had bad impact on consumers. Nowadays, great attention towards health industry are growing and has always used natural products as an alternative to the synthetic materials.
Up to now, plants are also an important source of natural compounds in a minor quantities or in bound forms making its isolation difficult. Consumers searching now for so-called natural products including natural additives from the drawbacks of chemical synthesis, sicking for perfect health. This explains the great interest of food industries in biological food components.
Propolis is a natural component, sticky and resinous, collected as a by-products from different bee trees, mixed with their own substances and used as a mean of defense against microbes, moulds, and to seal and clean of hive (Wollenweber et al., 1990; Lindenfelser, 1967). It is the chemical weapon of bees against infection, antibacterial and antifungal activity (Ghisalberti, 1978) and has been used since ancient times by humans as a remedy.
Poroplis stimulates the immune system and raises its natural resistance. Propolis could supply our bodies with up to 60 trace minerals (I.e.. magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, silica, phosphorous, copper, potassium and cobalt), besides 16 amino acids. It contains also vitamin A (carotene) B1, B2 and B3 which can be more better than any synthetic multivitamin.
So, researchers thought that propolis is very complex, but has constant chemistry, however analysis in the following years proved that bee glue, is highly variable due to their different geographic regions. Numerous studies in recent years, carried out by several scientists to proved that different propolis samples could be completely different in their chemical, and biological, properties (Anton,2013).
The similarity in propolis types of activity is less obvious but it is a fact. It is important to have a full detailed and reliable data on biologically and chemical activity, to decide which specific areas of propolis application can be formulated as preferable.
Today, these comparative investigations are the challenge facing propolis researchers. The global market of propolis in 2015 sized about 2300 tones and expected to be 2900 tones in 2021.
Brazil represent the largest country of production and exporting propolis, and the major propolis application areas are food industry which took nearly three quarters share of total consumption, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry (www.whatech.com).
The project aims to meet these challenges, to found out the Egyptian propolis bioactive component, extracting them, studying their chemical and physical properties, transfer them to nanoform with controlled released property in the target organs when are supplemented in our diets. Moreover, the project aims the evaluation of the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of microcapsules of bioactive nano compounds. This will help a lot in solving problems concerning with food supplementation, and produce more effective and efficient compounds able to be delivered through more safe target system.
The project offers the opportunity to produce novel functional materials utilizing food plant by-products. Microcapsulation of bioactive nano compounds into a range of applications potentially lead to the future development of novel functional foods.

References:

Anton D.G. (2013). Propolis: A Review of Propolis, Applications, Chemical Composition, Contact Allergy, and other Adverse Effects. Dermatitis, vol.24, Issue6, p.263-282.

Ghisalberti E.L. (1978). Propolis: a review. Bee World, 60: 59-84.
Lindenfelser L.A. (1967). Antimicrobial activity of propolis. Am Bee J, 107: 90-92.

Wollenweber E., Hausen B.M., Greenaway W. (1990). Phenolic constituents and sensitizing properties of propolis, poplar balsam and balsam of Peru. Bull Groupe Polyphenols, 15: 112-120.

Research goals

The project aimed to produce bioactive compounds from propolis natural product of bees honey, in nanoform that could be supplemented in some functional foods to improve their quality and safety, raising the immune systems of human body and helping in the prevention of welfares of some diseases.
In particular, the specific objectives are:
1. Developing natural food components and new capsulated products that can be used by food industries.
2. Producing new nano capsulated product that could be delivered through gastrointestinal tract in the way to their target.
3. Investigating their chemical and physical properties.
4. Studying their ex vivo antioxidant activity in human red blood cells.
5. Studying their antibacterial activity against potentially pathogenic bacteria and the effect on beneficial gut bacteria.
6. Trialing new way of improving nano bioactive into foods with minimal loss without compromising food quality.
7. Working towards understanding the stability of nano capsules during storage.

Last update: 25/06/2025