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Cancer chemoprevention by propolis and its polyphenolic compounds in experimental animals

Chemoprevention via nontoxic agents could be one aproch for decreasing the incidence of cancer. Many naturally occuring agents have shown chemopreventive potential in a variety of bioassay system and animal models. Polyhenolic form, a major part of the dietary antioxidant capacity of fruits, vegetable and honey bee propolis have been indentified as chemopreventive agents. Polyphenolic/flavonoids are present in concentrations from 35% to 50% in propolis, they posses antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, antiinflamatory, antiallergic, antimutagenic, antineoplastic, antithrombic, and immunomodulatory activity. Flavonoids are known to affect proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis in cancer cells and may play an important role in cancer chemoprevention. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding potential of polyphenolic/flavonoids components present in propolis on tumor growth and metastasing ability and possible modes of antitumor action. Their chemopreventive activity in animal models and cell cultures are likely to be the result of their ability to inhibit DNA synthesis in tumor cells, their capability to induce apoptosis of tumor cells, and their property to activate macrophage to produce factors capable to regulate the function of B-, T- and NK-cells, respectively. In addition, mechanism of anticancerogenic, antiimflamatory and antiproliferative activities as well as wound healing capability and they control of allergy are also described. Taken together, this information provides a basis for attempts to use the propolis and related polyphenolic compounds in preclinical and clinical practices for many diseases, since these components have wide pharmacological and biological activities.

chemoprevention, immunomodulation, propolis, flavonoids, polyphenolic components

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