AN OVERVIEW OF THE ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF PROPOLIS

Abstract

Propolis is one of the most well-known bee products. Honeybees produce propolis by processing the resins they collect from different parts of green plants and trees, such as young buds, leaves and stems, with enzymes they secrete from their glands. This hive product, which has been traditionally used in folk medicine for centuries because of therapeutic properties and pharmacological applications, has a wide variety of types according to plant source, such as Green propolis, Red Propolis, Mediterranean Propolis, Poplar Propolis, Birch Propolis, Clusia Propolis and Pacific Propolis. Propolis, which is hard and brittle when cold, is soft and sticky when heated and can be brown, green and red in color. Honeybees use propolis to seal holes in their hives or honeycombs and to protect themselves against pathogens. Propolis is very important for colony welfare due to its detoxifying properties against various bee pathogens. Especially during the rotting in the hive, the growth of bacteria or mold is prevented with propolis and the health of hive is preserved. Plant resin, wax, pollen and essential oils are major components of propolis. The complex chemical content of propolis is closely related to many factors such as plant source, geographic region, harvest season and type of honeybees. There are many compounds with strong antioxidant activity such as aliphatic and aromatic acids, phenolic esters, fatty acids, alcohols, terpenes, steroids, alkaloids, chrysin, pinocembrin, apigenin, galangin, campherol, quercetin, cinnamic acid, coumaric acid and caffeic acid in the chemical content of propolis. The fact that propolis contains many active ingredients with strong antioxidant effects has also highlighted its tumor inhibitory effect. Today, there is an increase in the death rate due to cancer in the world. For this reason, scientists have focused on searching for new anticancer agents that are effective against cancer. Many scientific reports in the literature showed that propolis plays an important role in suppressing cancer cells. The anticancer activity of propolis on various tumor cells has been proven by in vivo and in vitro experiments by different cell mechanisms such as apoptosis induction, cell cycle inhibition, anti-angiogenesis effect, antiproliferative effect and prevention of metastasis. In particular, the presence of metabolites with high anticancer capacity, especially artepillin C, caffeic acid and caffeic acid phenethyl ester, has significantly affected cancer research in many ways and have helped researchers develop new strategies in the fight against the cancer. With this review, the importance of propolis in the search for anticancer agents was emphasized.

Keywords

• Propolis
• Anticancer Effect
• Chemical compound

PROPOLİSİN ANTİKANSER AKTİVİTESİNE GENEL BİR BAKIŞ

Abstract

Propolis, bilinen en ünlü arı ürünlerinden biridir. Bal arıları propolisi, yeşil bitkilerin ve ağaçların genç tomurcuk, yaprak ve gövde gibi farklı kısımlarından topladıkları reçineleri salgı bezlerinden salgıladıkları enzimlerle işleyerek oluştururlar. Terapötik özellikleri ve farmakolojik uygulamalarından dolayı yüzyıllardır halk hekimliğinde kullanılan bu kovan ürününün, bitki kaynağına göre, Yeşil propolis, Kırmızı Propolis, Akdeniz propolisi, Kavak Propolisi, Huş Propolisi, Clusia Propolisi ve Pasifik Propolisi olmak üzere çok çeşitli türü mevcuttur. Soğukken sert ve kırılgan olan propolis, ısıtıldığında yumuşak ve yapışkan olup, kahverengi, yeşil ve kırmızı renkte olabilir. Bal arıları, propolisi kovanlarındaki ya da peteklerindeki delikleri kapatmak ve patojenlere karşı korumak için kullanırlar. Birçok arı patojenine karşı detoksifikasyon özelliğinden dolayı propolis, koloni refahı için çok önemlidir Özellikle kovandaki çürüme sırasında bakteri veya küf gelişimi propolis ile önlenir ve kovan sağlığı korunmuş olur. Propolisin kimyasal içeriğinde bitki reçinesi, balmumu, polen ve uçucu yağlar baskındır. Propolisin zengin ve karmaşık kimyasal içeriği, bitki kaynağı, coğrafik konum, hasat mevsimi ve bal arısının tipi gibi birçok faktörle yakından ilişkilidir. Propolisin kimyasal içeriğinde, alifatik ve aromatik asitler, fenolik esterler, yağ asitleri, alkoller, terpenler, steroidler, alkaloitler, krisin, pinosembrin, apigenin, galangin, kamferol, kersetin, sinnamik asit, kumarik asit ve kafeik asit gibi güçlü antioksidan aktiviteye sahip bileşikler mevcuttur. Propolisin güçlü antioksidan etkili çok sayıda aktif bileşen içermesi, onun tümör gelişimini durdurucu etkisini de ön plana çıkarmıştır. Günümüzde dünyada kansere bağlı ölüm oranında artış vardır. Bu nedenle bilim insanları kanserle mücadelede etkili yeni antikanser ajanlarını aramaya yoğunlaşmıştır. Literatürdeki bilimsel raporlar, propolisin kanser hücrelerinin baskılanmasında önemli rol oynadığını göstermektedir. Propolisin çeşitli tümör hücreleri üzerine antikanser etkisi apoptoz indüksiyonu, hücre döngüsü inhibisyonu, anti-anjiyogenez etki, antiproliferatif etki ve metastazın önlenmesi gibi çeşitli mekanizmalarla gerçekleştiği birçok araştırmacı tarafından in vivo ve in vitro deneylerle kanıtlanmıştır. Özellikle artepillin C, sinnamik asit, kafeik asit ve kafeik asit fenetil ester gibi yüksek antikanser kapasitesine sahip metabolitlerin varlığı, kanser araştırmalarını birçok yönden önemli ölçüde etkilemiş ve araştırmacıların kanserle mücadelesinde yeni stratejiler geliştirmesine de yardımcı olmuştur. Bu derleme ile antikanser ajan arayışında propolisin önemi vurgulanmıştır.

Keywords

• Propolis
• Antikanser Etki
• Kimyasal İçerik

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