1. J. Academy Adv Dental Research REVIEW ARTICLE
All Rights Res
Journal of Academy of Advanced Dental Research, Vol 2; Issue 2: May 2011 www.ispcd.org
JAADR is the new name of JADR (Journal of Advanced Dental Research). JAADR/JADR is not affiliated with any international organization like International Association
of Dental Research (IADR)/American Association of Dental Research (AADR), or any other international organization unless otherwise specified
Apitherapy - A sweet approach to dental
diseases. Part II: Propolis
V Ahuja* A Ahuja †
*M.D.S, Senior Lecturer, Department of Pedodontics & Preventive Dentistry, †
M.D.S,
Senior, Department of Periodontics & Implant Dentistry, Sharad Pawar Dental College
and Hospital, Wardha, Maharashtra, India. Email: vipinanu_2006@yahoo.co.in
Abstract:
“Look back into the nature and then you
will understand everything better.” This quote by
Albert Einstein clearly point towards the
paradigm shift from costlier antibiotic therapies to
the old tradition remedies with minimum side
effects like apitherapy. Apitherapy is the medicinal
use of products made by honeybees. Therapies
involving the honeybee have existed for thousands
of years and some may be as old as human
medicine itself. This can include the use of honey,
propolis, pollen, royal jelly, and bee venom. This
piece of writing throws a light on proplis and its
clinical importance in medicine and dentistry.
Key Words: Apitherapy, Propolis, Phytotherapy,
Plant.
Introduction:
Apitherapy, or ―bee therapy‖ is the medicinal
use of products made by honeybees. Bees have been
in existence for 125 million years and their
evolutionary success has allowed them to become
perennial species that can exploit virtually all habitats
on Earth. This success is largely because of the
chemistry and application of the specific products that
bees manufacture: honey, beeswax, venom, propolis,
pollen and royal jelly1
. According to Dr. Stefan
Stangaciu, Apitherapy is defined as, ‗the art and
science of treatment and holistic healing through the
honey bee and her products for the benefit of mankind
and all the animal kingdom.‘2
Honey is defined as a sweet liquid substance produced
by bees from the nectar gathered from flowers and
stores by them for food. The color and flavor are
determined by the flowers used. It was the early
man‘s source of sugar. About 80% of honey is
levulose and dextrose, the remainder mostly water. It
is dextrose and levulose that give honey its high-
energy content because they can be put to use
immediately. Athletes can use honey diluted with
orange juice to give them a boost of energy. Honey
can be used as a health food because of its high
content of energy giving sugars.3
As the most important ‗chemical weapon‘ of
bees against pathogenic microorganisms, propolis has
been used as a remedy by humans since ancient times.
Propolis is a sticky, resinous substance collected by
honey bees from the sap, leaves, and buds of plants,
and then mixed with secreted beeswax. Propolis has
been used as a folk medicine in many countries from
ancient times especially in Brazil and Eastern Europe.
It has been characterized variously as an anti-
bacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant,
and anti-carcinogenesis agent. Though bees use
propolis to reinforce their hive walls and protect the
hives from infection, humans use these products to
boost their immune system.4
Pollen (reproductive spores of seed-bearing plants) is
collected by bees from flowers. Benefits of bee pollen
extracts include detection and immunization against
allergies. Pollen is considered as part of the
apitherapy foods since it provide relief for bodily
weakness, premature aging, constipation and weight
loss.5
Royal jelly is a thick, milky mix of nutrients,
which is produced from a combination of honey and
pollen. All of the bees in a hive consume this
substance, but larvae that consume it exclusively and
in high doses grow larger than the other bees, thus
enabling them to become queens of the hive.5
Bee venom therapy can be administered two ways:
directly from a bee sting or by a prepared injection.
Bee venom causes inflammation where it is
introduced on the body. The inflammation triggers the
body to increase circulation to that point and to create
anti-inflammatory hormones to relieve pain. By
injecting bee venom directly to the joint that is
Serial Listing: Print- ISSN(2229-4112)
Online-ISSN (2229-4120)
Formerly Known as Journal of Advanced Dental
Research
Bibliographic Listing: Indian National Medical
Library, Index Copernicus, EBSCO Publishing
Database, Proquest., Open J-Gate.

2. 2
Journal of Academy of Advanced Dental Research, Vol 2; Issue 2: May 2011 www.ispcd.org
painful, the body‘s anti-inflammatory response can
treat the arthritic joint.6
Honey has been discussed in the last review article –
―Apitherapy- a sweet approach to dental diseases. Part
I: Honey. And this paper will talk about propolis and
its clinical significance in medicine and dentistry.
PROPOLIS:
Overview
Chemical composition
Types
Antibacterial Potential
Clinical significance in medicine and dentistry
Overview:
The word ‗Propolis‘ is believed to have been
coined by Aristotle who identified how propolis was
used to protect and defend the hive. Propolis(from the
Greek) means 'Before the City' or 'Defender of the
City'. In the beginning of the Greek civilization,
Aristotle observed that propolis had the ability to
defend a city with thousands of inhabitants, the
beehive. This defense exists for both the architectural
structural repair of the beehive and maintenance of the
species, preparing aseptic places for laying off the
eggs of the queen bee.7
Propolis is resinous material/sap that is
collected after it oozes out from tree bark and bud.
After bees have collected propolis they mix it with
wax flakes and their saliva in the hive. This mixture is
what they use to cover the interior of the hive. The
bees not only use propolis as a building material and
structural defence mechanism but their health is
maintained as a result of its immune system
enhancing properties. Propolis forms the bees external
immune defence system, making the beehive one of
the most sterile environments known to nature.4
There are over 180 different chemicals in
propolis which vary according to the type of bees
collecting it, the climatic zone, the local trees and
plants and even the time of day it is collected.
Effectively the bees select and collect from the local
environment all the products they need to stay well. If
a mouse or large insect invades the hive the bees can
kill it but cannot remove it. They prevent the corpse
from becoming a source of disease in the hive by
coating the body with propolis. By mummifying the
mouse or insect in this way the source of infection is
sealed off from the hive. Years later the "body"
remains perfectly preserved. So, in addition to filling
in cracks in the hive, it helps to protect against
predators, maintain temperature, and promote
hygienic conditions.7
Propolis is a resin widely used in folk medicine for
centuries. The Egyptians used propolis, honey and
other resins to mummify their pharaohs preserving
them, as far as possible, for the next life. Propolis has
been used by man since these times in one form or
another to stay well and to treat disease. It is known
that propolis exhibits several pharmacological
properties such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory,
healing, anesthetic, cytostatic and cariostatic
properties. In China, propoils was authorized as a new
material medicine and embodied in the Chinese
pharmacopeia in 2005. 8
In Dentistry, propolis has been used for the
treatment of aphthous ulcers, candidiasis, acute
necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (ANUG), gingivitis,
periodontitis and pulpitis. Studies on propolis
applications have increased because of its therapeutic
and biological properties. Current research involving
propolis in dentistry spans many fields and highlights
its antimicrobial and antiinflammatory activities,
particularly in cariology, oral surgery, pathology,
periodontics, endodontics and pedodontics.9
Chemical composition: 1,9
The chemical composition of this atoxic
natural substance is complex. More than 300
components have been found in propolis, mainly
composed of phenolic compounds (e.g. flavonoids,
aromatic compounds), terpenes and essential oil.
Flavonoids and cinnamic acid derivatives have
been considered as the main primary biologically
active components. Flavonoids, also collectively
known as Vitamin P and citrin, are a class of plant
secondary metabolites. They are all ketone-containing
compounds, and are the most important plant
pigments for flower coloration producing yellow or
red/blue pigmentation in petals designed to attract
pollinator animals. Flavonoids are the most common
group of polyphenolic compounds in the human diet
and are found ubiquitously in plants. They are divided
into four subgroups: Flavones, Flavonol, Flavonones,
Flavononol.
Cinnamic acid has the formula
C6H5CHCHCOOH and is a white crystalline acid,
which is slightly soluble in water. It is obtained from
oil of cinnamon, or from balsams. In biological
chemistry, cinnamic acid is a key intermediate in
phenylpropanoid pathway. Phenylpropanoid are a
class of plant metabolites based on phenylalanine.
They are widely distributed in plants fulfilling many
functions including plant defense mechanism,
pigmentation and external signaling system.
Phenylalanine is first converted to cinnamates,
coumarines, caffeic acids, ferulic acids, and sinapic
acids. Cinnamic acid is the precursor of these acids.
Commercial cinnamic acid, a phenylacrylic acid
structure compound, is used in converting to its esters
such as methyl, ethyl, and benzyl cinnamate for the
perfume and flavour application.

3. 3
Journal of Academy of Advanced Dental Research, Vol 2; Issue 2: May 2011 www.ispcd.org
Ethanolic extract of propolis inhibits
hyaluronidase activity and hence have a great
potential as an anti-inflammatory agent.
The Problem of Chemical Variability of Propolis: 1
Numerous studies, carried out with the
combined efforts of phytochemists and
pharmacologists, led in recent years to the idea that
different propolis samples could be completely
different in their chemistry and biological activity.
To understand what causes the differences in
chemical composition, it is necessary to keep in mind
the plant origin of propolis. For propolis production,
bees use materials resulting from a variety of
botanical processes in different parts of plants. These
are substances actively secreted by plants as well as
substances exuded from wounds in plants: lipophilic
materials on leaves and leaf buds, gums, resins,
latices, etc.. The plant origin of propolis determines
its chemical diversity. Its chemical composition
depends on the specificity of the local flora at the site
of collection and thus on the geographic and climatic
characteristics of this site. This fact results in the
striking diversity of propolis chemical composition,
especially of propolis originating from tropical
regions.
Nowadays, it is well documented that in the
temperate zone all over the world, the main source is
the resinous exudate of the buds of poplar trees,
mainly the black poplar Populus nigra. For this
reason, European propolis contains the typical ‗poplar
bud‘ phenolics: flavonoid aglycones (flavones and
flavanones), phenolic acids and their esters.
Poplar trees are common only in the temperate zone;
they cannot grow in tropical and subtropical regions.
For this reason, in these habitats, bees have to find
other plant sources of propolis to replace their beloved
poplar. As a result, propolis from tropical regions has
a different chemical composition from that of poplar
type propolis. In the last decade, Brazilian propolis
attracted both commercial and scientific interest. The
main source of Brazilian propolis turned out to be the
leaf resin of Baccharis dracunculifolia. Among the
main compound classes found in Brazilian propolis
are prenylated derivatives of p-coumaric acid and of
acetophenone. Diterpenes, lignans and flavonoids
(different from those in ‗poplar type‘ propolis) have
also been found. However, in Brazil, several types of
propolis were registered in recent studies, that come
from plant sources different from B.dracunculifolia
and containing compounds other than those
mentioned above.
Recently the chemistry of Cuban propolis
caught the attention of scientists. Its main components
are polyisoprenylated benzophenones, and this makes
Cuban propolis different from both European and
Brazilian propolis. The plant source of this propolis
type was detected to be the floral resin of Clusia
rosea, from where came the prenylated
benzophenones.
Actually, propolis is the defense of bees
against infections, and the antibacterial and antifungal
activity of all samples is not surprising. The similarity
in many of the other types of activity is less obvious
but it is a fact. Of course, the responsible compounds
are different, as shown in Table 1: mainly favanones,
flavones, phenolic acid and their esters in poplar type
(European) propolis, prenylated p-coumaric acis and
diterpenes in Baccharis type (Brazilian) propolis;
prenylated benzophenones in Cuban red propolis, etc.
Antibacterial Potential:
Many authors have demonstrated that
propolis has significant antimicrobial activities
against Gram-positive bacteria and yeasts. Flavonoids
and phenolic acids present in propolis are
pharmacologically active compounds that have effects
on bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Propolis had shown
antibacterial activity against Enterococcus sp,
Escherichia coli, and, especially, Staphylococcus
aureus. Reports have pointed out its activity against
Gram-positive bacteria and limited action against
Gram-negative bacteria.
A study was done to compare the antibacterial
activity of ethanolic extract of propolis produced in
two different regions of Brazil against Salmonella
enteritidis (isolated from food) and Salmonella
typhimurium (isolated from human infections). It was
concluded that Salmonella growth was only inhibited
by higher propolis concentration (10.0% v/v), what is
in accordance with the results in literature, showing
propolis limited action on Gram-negative bacteria.
The bacteriostatic activity of 70% ethanol on both
strains suggested that propolis action was only due to
its components. A possible explanation for propolis
action mechanism may be the fact that one or some of
its constituents caused a significant inhibition of
bacterial mobility, besides ion permeability alteration
on the inner bacterial membrane. Takaisi-Kikuni and
Schilcher proposed that ethanolic extract of propolis
interferes with Streptococcus agalactiae division,
promoting cytoplasm disorganization and protein
synthesis inhibition. This effect of ethanolic extract of
propolis reflects its antibiotic action on Salmonella,

4. 4
Journal of Academy of Advanced Dental Research, Vol 2; Issue 2: May 2011 www.ispcd.org
Types: 1
*Prenylation or lipidation is the addition of hydrophobic molecules to a protein. It is usually assumed that
prenyl groups (3-methyl-2-buten-1-yl) facilitate attachment to cell membranes.
Antibacterial Potential:
Many authors have demonstrated that
propolis has significant antimicrobial activities
against Gram-positive bacteria and yeasts. Flavonoids
and phenolic acids present in propolis are
pharmacologically active compounds that have effects
on bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Propolis had shown
antibacterial activity against Enterococcus sp,
Escherichia coli, and, especially, Staphylococcus
aureus. Reports have pointed out its activity against
Gram-positive bacteria and limited action against
Gram-negative bacteria.
A study was done to compare the antibacterial
activity of ethanolic extract of propolis produced in
two different regions of Brazil against Salmonella
enteritidis (isolated from food) and Salmonella
typhimurium (isolated from human infections). It was
concluded that Salmonella growth was only inhibited
by higher propolis concentration (10.0% v/v), what is
in accordance with the results in literature, showing
propolis limited action on Gram-negative bacteria.
The bacteriostatic activity of 70% ethanol on both
strains suggested that propolis action was only due to
its components. A possible explanation for propolis
action mechanism may be the fact that one or some of
its constituents caused a significant inhibition of
bacterial mobility, besides ion permeability alteration
on the inner bacterial membrane. Takaisi-Kikuni and
Schilcher proposed that ethanolic extract of propolis
interferes with Streptococcus agalactiae division,
promoting cytoplasm disorganization and protein
synthesis inhibition. This effect of ethanolic extract of
propolis reflects its antibiotic action on Salmonella,
suggesting its possible use as an alternative control of
Salmonella infection.10
In another study, propolis showed high
antibacterial activity against Gram-positive cocci
(Staphylococcus aureus), but had weak activity
against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and yeasts (Candida
albicans). Furthermore, Jordanian propolis can
effectively eliminate Enterococcus faecalis from
infected dentin models ex vivo. Current studies
involving propolis had used different microbiological
methods, such as agar dilution, agar well diffusion,
agar disc diffusion techniques, as well as several
concentrations of the propolis extract, which in
general ranged from 11% to 30% weight to volume.11
A study was done to evaluate the in vivo antimicrobial
activity of an extract prepared with propolis produced
by Melipona compressipes fasciculate bees and used
as mouthrinse on the concentration of S. mutans
present in the oral cavity of young individuals. It was
concluded that the propolis extract tested possesses
antimicrobial activity against S. mutans present in the
oral cavity. The extract might be used as an
alternative measure to prevent dental caries.12
Clinical significance in medicine:
1. Antioxidant
Previous experiments reported that propolis
can prevent tissue damage from oxidative stress by
decreasing the overproduction of superoxide anion
and by restoring respiratory control ration in
mitochondrial tissue. According to an Italian Study,
Propolis extract (with and without CAPE) and its
active components showed a dose-dependent free
radical scavenging effect, a significant inhibition of
xanthine oxidase activity, and an antilipoperoxidative
capacity. Propolis extract with CAPE was more active
than propolis extract without CAPE. The
experimental evidence, therefore, suggests that CAPE
plays an important role in the antioxidant activity of
propolis.13
2.Anti-inflammatory
PROPOLIS
TYPE
Antibacterial
activity
Antiinflammatory
activity
Antitumor activityHepatoprotective
activity
Antioxidant
activity
Allergenic
activity
European (poplar
type)
Flavanones,
flavones,
phenolic acids
and their esters
Flavanones,flavones,
phenolic acids and
their esters
Caffeic acid
phenethyl ester
(CAPE)
Caffeic acid, ferulic
acids acid, caffeic
acid phenethyl
ester
Flavonoids,
phenolic and
their esters
3,3-Dimethylallyl
caffeate
Braziliian
(Baccharis type)
Prenylated* p-
coumaric acids,
labdane
diterpenes,
Unidentified Prenylated p-
coumaric
acids,clerodane
diterpenes,
benzofuranes
Prenylated
p-coumaric acis,
flavonoids, lignans,
caffeoyl quinic
acids
Prenylated p-
coumaric acis,
flavonoids,
Not tested
Cuban Prenylated
benzophenones
Not tested Prenylated
benzophenones
Unidentified Not tested
Taiwaneese Not tested Not tested Prenylated
flavanones
Not tested Prenylated
flavanones
Not tested

5. 5
Journal of Academy of Advanced Dental Research, Vol 2; Issue 2: May 2011 www.ispcd.org
Ethanolic extract of propolis inhibits
hyaluronidase activity. As this enzyme is responsible
for several inflammatory processes, propolis holds a
great potential as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Nevertheless, propolis showed to be more effective
than the other drugs for reduction of the acute anti-
inflammatory exudate. Application of 5% ethanolic
extracts of propolis in the dental cavity of dogs
showed its anti-inflammatory reaction, tissue
reorganization in the superficial level, as well as
antibacterial activity.9
3.Anti tumor activity
Recently, propolis has received the special
interest in the areas of oncology research as a source
for prevention and treatment of cancer. Accordingly, a
large number of compounds possessing the anticancer
activity such as CAPE, artepillin C, and propolin A—
C have been reported from propolis. CAPE, a
phenolic antioxidant, is potent and specific inhibitor
of activation of the nuclear transcription factor (NF-
κB). In angiogenesis, CAPE has been shown to
prevent VEGF expression in CT26 colon
adenocarcinoma cells. CAPE also suppresses the
induction of prostaglandin E 2 synthesis mediated by
12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and calcium
ionophores. Therefore, CAPE can be considered as a
potential anti-angiogenic agent that can reduce
neovascularization.14
4.Healing activity
Propolis has been reported to promote
epithelial formation as well as vascular and
fibroblastic neoformation of the connective tissue.
Thus it can be hypothesized that the topical
application of propolis on surgical wounds may
promote faster epithelium and connective tissue
healing.14
5.Anti-diabetic and antihypertensive:
Recent studies have reported that propolis
prevented and mitigated diabetes and hypertension,
but it remains unclear whether propolis similarly
prevents and mitigates the accumulation of visceral
adipose tissues and hyperlipidemia. One study
demonstrates that oral administration of propolis
extract suppressed overall weight gain in mice, the
accumulation of visceral adipose tissue weight, and
the increase in serum and liver triglycerides that
normally result from feeding a high-fat diet to mice.
Previous studies have shown that Chinese propolis
helped to reduce fasting blood glucose (FBG) and
improve oxidative stress and lipid metabolism in
alloxan-induced diabetic rats.4
6.Protective action of Propolis on Cartilage:
An Italian study states that this natural
compound and its active principle, caffeic acid
phenethyl ester (CAPE), were able to contrast the
harmful effects of IL-1beta. The data clearly
demonstrated the protective action of propolis in
cartilage alteration, that appears greater than that
elicited by indomethacin, commonly employed in
joint diseases.15
7.Vaccines:
To be effective, most vaccines typically
depend on the inclusion of substances known as
adjuvants that stimulate an immune response.
Researchers seeking to develop a vaccine against Suid
herpesvirus type1 (SuHV-1), which causes an
infectious disease among swine, combined green
propolis with an ethanol extract and tested it on mice.
The mice showed an increased cellular immune
response and increased protection against SuHV-1.
This response did not occur with propolis alone, but
only when the antigen was absorbed in a particulate
adjuvant, like aluminum hydroxide. Thus, when
associated with auxiliary substances like aluminum
hydroxide, green propolis extract may increase the
potency of vaccines, especially those that depend on
the cellular immune response for protection.16
Clinical significance in dentistry:
1. Anticaries
Few microorganisms found in the oral cavity
are able to adhere to the teeth and, among these, a
limited group is cariogenic. The specific cariogenic
microbiota consists of Streptococcus mutans,
Lactobacillus and some Actinomyces species.
However, during the initial phase of caries disease, S.
mutans is the most frequently associated
microorganism. In addition to its ability to adhere to
teeth and survive in acid environment, S. mutans is
transmissible, as first demonstrated by Keyes (1960).
Based on literature reports showing that propolis resin
is a product with antiinflammatory and bactericidal
activity, several in vitro and some in vivo studies have
demonstrated its potential use in the treatment of
bacterial diseases. It was concluded in one study that
the propolis extract used as mouthrinse possesses
antimicrobial activity against S. mutans present in the
oral cavity. The extract might be used as an
alternative measure to prevent dental caries.12
2.Antiplaque
Koo H et al studied the effect of a mouthrinse
containing selected propolis on 3-day dental plaque
accumulation and polysaccharide formation. Six
volunteers took part in a double-blind crossover study
performed in two phases of 3 days. During each phase
the volunteers refrained from all oral hygiene and
rinsed with 20% sucrose solution 5 times a day to

6. 6
Journal of Academy of Advanced Dental Research, Vol 2; Issue 2: May 2011 www.ispcd.org
enhance dental plaque formation and with mouthrinse
(placebo or experimental) twice a day. On the 4th day,
the plaque index (PI) of the volunteers was scored and
the supragingival dental plaque was analyzed for
insoluble polysaccharide (IP). The PI for the
experimental group was significantly less than for the
placebo group. The experimental mouthrinse reduced
the IP concentration in dental plaque by 61.7%
compared to placebo (p < 0.05). An experimental
mouthrinse containing propolis was thus efficient in
reducing supragingival plaque formation and IP
formation under conditions of high plaque
accumulation.17
3. Chronic periodontitis
Researchers in Brazil have found that
periodontal diseases are amendable to treatment by
green propolis. A study was conducted on four
patients at a periodontics clinic in southeastern Brazil
who had varying degrees of dental problems: calculus,
gingivitis, bleeding, fluid accumulation, gingival
recession, tooth mobility, pus formation, and bone
loss. Treatment consisted of daily tooth brushing with
propolis and washing the mouth with a propolis
solution. The propolis was applied in certain
periodontal pockets once a week for five weeks. All
the periodontal pockets irrigated with propolis
showed a 95% decline in gingivitis and pus. Because
propolis is cheap and accessible to the population, its
effectiveness in treating periodontal disease is
extremely relevant to public health. The authors
therefore recommend that 10% Brazilian green
propolis be used in conjunction with treatment of
chronic periodontitis.18
A study was done in KLE‘s VK institiute of
dental sciences, Belgaum, Karnataka, India, to explore
the efficacy of propolis extract as a subgingival
irrigant in periodontal treatment. And it was
concluded that subgingival irrigation with propolis
extract as an adjuvant to periodontal treatment was
more effective than scaling and root planning both by
clinical and microbiological parameters.19
4.Oral candiadiasis:
According to Brazilian researchers, green
propolis is effective against oral candidiasis. Green
propolis is collected from honeybees in southeastern
Brazil. In one study, twelve patients were treated with
propolis. After cleaning their prosthesis and their oral
cavity, they dried the infected area and applied the
propolis extract topically in candidiasis oral mucosa
lesions with a swab, four times daily for a week. A
control group of six patients performed the same
treatment with Nystatin, a standard antifungal
product. All 18 patients—whether treated with
propolis extract or Nystatin—showed a remission of
the candidiasis lesion in less than three weeks: 11
patients after 7 days, and 6 patients after 15 days.20
5.Pulp therapy in primary and permanent teeth
According to Sabir et al20
, direct pulp capping
with propolis in rats may delay dental pulp
inflammation and stimulate reparative dentin. Partial
dentinal bridge formation was seen in these animals
after application of propolis in this study. Another
study in Manipal College of Dental Sciences,
Manipal, conducted on premolars for direct pulp
capping also showed that propolis is equally
efficacious as calcium hydroxide. It has been
concluded in a study that propolis can be used along
with calcium hydroxide as an intracanal
medicament.21
According to Estrela et al., ‗oily vehicles‘
become an issue if a calcium hydroxide paste is used
as an intracanal medicament because oily substances
have low solubility in water and do not allow
immediate availability of the hydroxyl ions released
from calcium hydroxide. Thereby, a less effective
antimicrobial action is expected. Otherwise, oily
vehicles could be an option when calcium hydroxide
is used as an obturation agent. One could consider
associating calcium hydroxide with propolis in order
to add all beneficial biological properties of propolis,
particularly its antiinflammatory, immunomodulating,
antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties to
those of calcium hydroxide. Moreover, as an oily
substance, propolis may promote low-speed
dissociation and diffusion when used as a component
in an endodontic paste for primary teeth. It is also
important for endodontic compounds to accompany
the physiological resorption of primary teeth. The
association of propolis with calcium hydroxide could
aggregate the benefits of each material. However,
propolis would not jeopardize the antimicrobial
activity of calcium hydroxide.22
By testing a mixture
of propolis and calcium hydroxide against a
polymicrobial culture extracted from primary tooth
root canals, better results were observed than those
obtained with calcium hydroxide plus propylene
glycol. Calcium hydroxide was chosen because it is
well established as an endodontic dressing, but its use
is still controversial in primary teeth. However it was
confirmed in this study that association of calcium
hydroxide with propolis can be beneficial in terms of
antimicrobial activity.22
Conclusion:
It is therefore comprehensible that we should
now switch on to ―back to nature approach‖ where
propolis seems to be a promising alternative for the
control of oral diseases in terms of antimicrobial
response and lower associated risks.

7. 7
Journal of Academy of Advanced Dental Research, Vol 2; Issue 2: May 2011 www.ispcd.org
References:
1. Vassya Bankova. Recent trends and important
developments in propolis research. eCAM
2005;2(1)29–32.
2. Hellner M, Winter D, Georgi R.V, Munsted
T.K. Apitherapy: usage and experience in
german bee keepers. eCAM 2008;5(4): 475-
79.
3. Stedman‘s Medical Dictionary 26th
ed.
Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, USA.
4. Koya-Miyata S, Arai N, Mizote A, Taniguchi
Y, Ushio S, Iwaki K, Fukuda S. Propolis
Prevents Diet-Induced hyperlipidemia and
mitigates weight gain in Diet-Induced obesity
in mice. Biol. Pharm. Bull.
2009;32(12):2022—2028.
5. Izuta H, Shimazawa M , Tsuruma K, Araki Y,
Mishima S, Hara . Bee products prevent
VEGF-induced angiogenesis in human
umbilical vein endothelial cells BMC
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
2009, 9:45. 1-10.
6. Burroughs, Hugh and Mark Kastner. (1993).
The complete A-Z Guide to Over 160
Different Alternative Therapies: Alternative
Healing. New York: Halcyon Publishing.
7. Bee vital propolis. Available from :URL:
http//www.beevitalpropolis.com.
8. Zhu W, Chen M, Shou Q, Li Y, Hu F.
Biological activities of Chinese Propolis and
Brazilian Propolis on streptozotocin-Induced
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in rats. eCAM
2010;1-8.
9. Da Silva F B, De Almeida J M, De Sousa S
M G. Natural medicaments in endodontics – a
comparative study of the anti-inflammatory
action. Braz Oral Res 2004;18(2):174-9.
10. Orsi r. O., Sforcin J. M., Rall V. L. M., Funari
S. R. C., Barbosa L., Fernandes JR A.
Susceptibility profile of salmonella against
the antibacterial activity of propolis produced
in two regions of brazil. J. Venom. Anim.
Toxins incl. Trop. Dis. 2005;11(2):109-116.
11. Stepanovic S, Antic N, Dakic I, Svabic-
Vlahovic M, Department of Bacteriology,
Institute of Mcrobiology and Immunology,
School of Medicine, University of Belgrade,
Serbia. Microbiology Res. 2003; 158(4):353-
7.
12. De Carvalho Duailibe S A, Gonçalves A G,
Ahid F J M. Effect of a propolis extract on
streptococcus Mutans counts in vivo. J Appl
Oral Sci. 2007;15(5):420-3.
13. Russo A, Longo R, Vanella A. Antioxidant
activity of propolis: role of caffeic acid
phenethyl ester and galangin. Department of
Biochemistry, Medical Chemistry and
Molecular Biology, University of Catania,
V.le A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy.
Fitoterapia. 2002 Nov;73 Suppl 1:S21-9.
14. Feng LI, Awale S, Tezuka Y, Kadota S.
Cytotoxic constituents of propolis from
Myanmar and their structure–activity
relationship Biol. Pharm. Bull.
2009;32(12):2075—2078.
15. Cardile V, Panico A, Gentile B, Borrelli F,
Russo A. Effect of propolis on human
cartilage and chondrocytes. Department of
Physiological Sciences, University of
Catania,v.le A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
Life Sci. 2003 Jul 11;73(8):1027-35.
16. Geferson Fischer. Immunodomodulation
produced by a green propolis extract on
humoral and cellular responses of mice
immunized with SuHV-1. Vaccine
2007;25:1250- 1256.
17. Koo H, Cury JA, Rosalen PL, Ambrosano
GM, Ikegaki M, Park YK. Effect of a
mouthrinse containing selected propolis on 3-
day dental plaque accumulation and
polysaccharide formation. Caries Res. 2002
Nov-Dec;36(6):445-8.
18. Cairo de Maral. Periodontitis treatment with
Brazilian green propolis gel.
Pharmacologyonline 2006;3:336-341.
19. Coutino A O, Sanikop S. Propolis
(Honeybee) extract as a subgingival irrigant
in periodontal treatment. KSDJ 2009; 28(2):
31-35.
20. V.R. Santos. Oral candidiasis treatment with
Brazilian ethanol propolis extract.
Phytotherapy Research 2005; 19:652-654.
21. Tandon S. Textbook of pedodontics, 2nd
ed,
Hyderabad (India): paras medical publisher
2008. P 404.
22. G P Rezende, L R Costa, F C Pimenta, D A
Baroni In vitro Antimicrobial Activity of
EndodonticPastes with Propolis Extracts and
Calcium Hydroxide:A Preliminary Study.
Braz Dent J 2008;19(4): 301-305.
Source of Support: Nil
Conflict of Interest: No Conflict of Interest
Received: December 2010
Accepted: April 2011

8. 8
Journal of Academy of Advanced Dental Research, Vol 2; Issue 2: May 2011 www.ispcd.org