Constituents From Brazilian Propolis Against Edwardsiella ictaluri and Flavobacterium covae, Two Bacteria Affecting Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus).

Edwardsiella ictaluri and Flavobacterium covae are two bacteria species that cause diseases in farm-raised channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) that cause heavy economic damage to the aquaculture industry, particularly to the channel catfish farming. In search for environmentally benign antibacterial compounds active against E. ictaluri and F. covae, we investigated the constituents isolated from Brazilian red, brown and green propolis. We have also synthetically modified active constituents to see if lipophilicity plays a role in enhancing antibacterial activities. Vestitol, neovestitol and methylvestitol were found to be the active constituents with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) relative to drug control florfenicol (RDCF) values (MIC-RDCF) of 7.6, 7.6 and 7.9 mg/L, respectively, against F. covae. The activity against E. ictaluri was not significant.

Copaifera langsdorffii Oleoresin-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carrier Emulgel Improves Cutaneous Healing by Anti-Inflammatory and Re-Epithelialization Mechanisms.

The skin is essential to the integrity of the organism. The disruption of this organ promotes a wound, and the organism starts the healing to reconstruct the skin. Copaifera langsdorffii is a tree used in folk medicine to treat skin affections, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In our study, the oleoresin of the plant was associated with nanostructured lipid carriers, aiming to evaluate the healing potential of this formulation and compare the treatment with reference drugs used in wound healing. Male Wistar rats were used to perform the excision wound model, with the macroscopic analysis of wound retraction. Skin samples were used in histological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical analyses. The results showed the wound retraction in the oleoresin-treated group, mediated by α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Biochemical assays revealed the anti-inflammatory mechanism of the oleoresin-treated group, increasing interleukin-10 (IL-10) concentration and decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines. Histopathological and immunohistochemical results showed the improvement of re-epithelialization and tissue remodeling in the Copaifera langsdorffii group, with an increase in laminin-γ2, a decrease in desmoglein-3 and an increase in collagen remodeling. These findings indicate the wound healing potential of nanostructured lipid carriers associated with Copaifera langsdorffii oleoresin in skin wounds, which can be helpful as a future alternative treatment for skin wounds.

In vitro comparison between antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects of Green Propolis and Baccharis dracunculifolia against Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolate.

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is the leading cause of canine pyoderma. Honeybee products are common to treat this and other types of infections. High average annual population loss of bees has been observed. This study evaluated antibacterial and antibiofilm profile of Green Propolis and Baccharis dracunculifolia against S. pseudintermedius and the chemical similarities among both. Ethanolic extracts were produced and chemically characterized. The isolates were subjected to treatment with the extracts in both planktonic and sessile forms. Green propolis minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 0.156 mg / mL, and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was 0.312mg / mL. Baccharis dracunculifolia extract MIC and MBC was 0.312mg / mL and 2.5 mg / mL, respectivelly. Both extracts reduced SD55 formation of biofilm at minimum inhibitory concentration and at 1/8 minimum inhibitory concentration. The results observed in relation to ED99, were similar for both extracts. Besides that, similar chemical indicators between both extracts, including the presence of Artepellin C, suggest that the Baccharis dracunculifolia extract could be an alternative to the Green Propolis extract in the treatment of staph infections.

Chemical characterization of Brazilian propolis using automated direct thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: Propolis, produced by honey bees, is used around the world, displaying several corroborated biological activities. Brazil is one of the leading producers of propolis, with a great diversity of types, each with a characteristically chemical fingerprint influenced by the flora of the local region. The secondary metabolite's composition of propolis strongly impacts its biological properties, and its chemical characterization is of great importance for its quality control. Several chromatographic techniques have been applied to characterize propolis, highlighting the extraction of its volatiles and its analysis through gas chromatography. Fourteen Brazilian propolis samples collected in four states, including brown, green and red propolis types, were chemically characterized using the automated direct thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (DTD-GC-MS). RESULTS: Red propolis type was characterized by acyclic saturated hydrocarbons, fatty alcohols, terpenes, and phenylpropanoids as nonacosane, α-copaene, ß-amyrin acetate, anethole, and 7-O-methylvestitol. Brown propolis presented hydrocarbons, monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenes, as α-pinene and α-bisabolol. Brazilian green propolis presented polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and sesquiterpenes, including 1-methyl-octahydroanthracene, 2,5-dimethyl-γ-oxo-benzenebutanoic acid, nerolidol, and spathulenol. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed, allowing for clustering brown and red propolis types, indicating a divergence with the chemical composition of the green propolis samples. The hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) allowed the chemical fingerprint of each propolis type to be differentiated. CONCLUSION: Red propolis was characterized by sesquiterpenes, pterocarpans, and isoflavans; brown propolis was characterized by hydrocarbons, aldehydes, and monoterpenes, while green propolis samples were characterized by the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, sesquiterpenes, and naphthalene derivatives. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nonclinical Toxicological Studies of Brazilian Red Propolis and Its Primary Botanical Source Dalbergia ecastaphyllum.

Propolis is one of the most widely used products in traditional medicine. One of the most prominent types of Brazilian propolis is the red one, whose primary botanical source is Dalbergia ecastaphyllum (L.) Taub. Despite the potential of Brazilian red propolis for developing new products with pharmacological activity, few studies guarantee safety in its use. The objective of this study was the evaluation of the possible toxic effects of Brazilian red propolis and D. ecastaphyllum, as well as the cytotoxicity assessment of the main compounds of red propolis on tumoral cell lines. Hydroalcoholic extracts of the Brazilian red propolis (BRPE) and D. ecastaphyllum stems (DSE) and leaves (DLE) were prepared and chromatographed for isolation of the major compounds. RP-HPLC-DAD was used to quantify the major compounds in the obtained extracts. The XTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of the extracts in the human fibroblast cell line (GM07492A). The results revealed IC50 values of 102.7, 143.4, and 253.1 µg/mL for BRPE, DSE, and DLE, respectively. The extracts were also evaluated for their genotoxic potential in the micronucleus assay in Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts cells (V79), showing the absence of genotoxicity. The BRPE was investigated for its potential in vivo toxicity in the zebrafish model. Concentrations of 0.8-6.3 mg/L were safe for the animals, with a LC50 of 9.37 mg/L. Of the 11 compounds isolated from BRPE, medicarpin showed a selective cytotoxic effect against the HeLa cell line. These are the initial steps to determine the toxicological potential of Brazilian red propolis.

Larvicidal Activity of Constituents from the Main Brazilian Propolis Types: Green, Red, and Brown against Aedes aegypti.

In search of environmentally benign and mammalian-friendly mosquito-mitigating compounds, we conducted an investigation into the constituents isolated from Brazilian red, brown, and green propolis. Additionally, we synthetically modified active constituents to explore the role of lipophilicity in enhancing their larvicidal activity. Honeybees collect plant resins from their habitats, mix them with saliva, and utilize them to seal their beehives. The constituents present in propolis exhibit a unique composition specific to the geographical location and the fauna of the region. As part of the plant's natural defense mechanism, propolis compounds demonstrate antibacterial, insecticidal, and phytotoxic properties. Given that several insecticides target the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, we conducted in silico studies to examine the interactions between propolis compounds and acetylcholinesterase through molecular docking. In this study, we present the mosquito larvicidal activities of propolis constituents.