Beehive and Anticancer Antibiotics

Beehive and Anticancer Antibiotics

Propolis is a resin that because of its sticky like glue, known as bee glue. Bee propolis is actually generated by collecting resins from a variety of plants, then the resin is mixed with saliva and various enzymes that exist in a resin that bees so different from the original resin.

Due to a variety of sources, the color, composition, and properties of propolis may vary. Propolis can be yellow to dark brown, even transparent. The chemical composition of propolis flavonoids consists of covering nearly 50% of the composition of propolis, kafeat acid, ferulic acid, and minerals in small quantities.

The use of propolis as a medicine has actually been done since the 12th century. Greeks and Romans have used propolis to treat swelling. Egyptians besides using propolis as a medicine, as well as adhesive wear on making canoes. Bee propolis for itself serve to protect the entire nest and lay her eggs where the queen bee of the pests that cause decay eggs Bacillus larvae.

This is what underlies the use of propolis as an antibiotic. Then carried out various studies on the effects of propolis against various microbial antibiotics. Results of research that began in 1975 Karimova against Bacillus de koch and then followed by other researchers showed that propolis has a bactericidal effect on Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, Streptomyces, Streptomyces sobrinus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Shigella, Giardia lambia, nodocuc Bacteroides, Klebsiella pneumoniae, but it is also effective as a fungicide on Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea and Ascosphaera apis.

Interestingly the results showed, propolis is more effective when tested its effect in vivo than in vitro. This is because propolis could serve as an immunostimulant, which stimulates the function of various organs and induce the immune system to be more immune to disease germs.

Advantages compared to other antibiotics propolis is a small side effects. The only side effect that happened and it was rare that allergic reactions when used locally. Whereas when administered orally no side effects occurred. Another advantage that is not cause resistance. Antibiotics such as penicillin can lead to resistance because the bacteria can renew itself more resistant to penicillin. But not bacteria or virus may become resistant to propolis. In addition, propolis as an antibiotic has high selectivity. Propolis only kills germs that cause disease only, while useful as microbial gut flora is not disturbed by propolis. Active substances known to be antibiotic in propolis is ferulic acid. This substance is effective against gram positive and negative bacteria. Ferulic acid is also agglutinating (involved in blood clotting), so it can be used to treat wounds and given in the form of ointment.

Propolis as anticancer

Conducted by research S. Scheller, et al who tested the anticancer efficacy of ethanol extract of propolis (EEP) in mice induced by ehrlich carcinoma cells showed that mice can survive more once given the EEP. EEP anticancer effect against Ehrlich carcinoma cells is associated with the flavonoid in propolis.

Flavonoids affect stages of cancer cell metabolism, such as by inhibiting the incorporation of thymidine, uridine, and leucin with the cancer cells that may inhibit cancer cell DNA synthesis. The role of flavonoids as anticancer also confirmed by another experiment using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as inducers of cancer.

Mechanism of inhibition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with the inhibition of metabolic stimulation induced by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and affect the activity of several cell promoter. Flavonoids are a sua tu substance found in many plants, but in propolis are in concentrated form.

With the metabolism system, flavonoids from plants the bees make it more effective. So bees seems to be an intermediary flavonoids with humans and animals. Flavonoid compounds found in the EEP include betulinol, quersetin, isovanilin, galangin, isalpinin, kaempferol, rhamnetin, isohmnetin, pinocembrin, pinostrobin and pinobaksin.

Propolis is currently available in the form of tablets, ointments, capsules, creams, etc.. The use of propolis could in healthy people and sick. In healthy people use propolis to improve the body's resistance to disease. While on sick people use when combined with synthetic drugs can increase the effect for example can increase the effects of penicillin. (Source: Jacobs Caal, Natural Product from Bee, 1991 and other sources)