Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40002747›Full record

ArticleBiomedicines2025

Phenolic Content, Antioxidant Activity and In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory and Antitumor Potential of Selected Bulgarian Propolis Samples.

Yulian Tumbarski, Ivan Ivanov, Mina Todorova, Sonia Apostolova, Rumiana Tzoneva, Krastena Nikolova

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Article in Biomedicines, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

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5citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Yulian TumbarskiDepartment of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Food Technologies, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0003-1674-5333
Ivan IvanovDepartment of Organic Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry, University of Food Technologies, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0002-6826-2723
Mina TodorovaDepartment of Organic Chemistry, Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Sonia ApostolovaLaboratory of Transmembrane Signaling, Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Rumiana TzonevaLaboratory of Transmembrane Signaling, Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0001-6659-2588
Krastena NikolovaDepartment of Physics and Biophysics, Medical University-Varna, 9000 Varna, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0002-2617-4776

Funding

Next Generation EU, through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria № BG-RRP-2.004-0009-C02
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesPropolis (bee glue) is a valuable bee product widely used as a natural remedy, a cosmetic ingredient, a nutritional value enhancer and a food biopreservative. The present research aims to investigate the phenolic content, antioxidant activity and in vitro anti-inflammatory and antitumor potential of six propolis samples from three regions of Bulgaria (Vidin, Gabrovo and Lovech).

methodsthe analysis of propolis phenolic compounds was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); the antioxidant activity of ethanolic propolis extracts was assessed by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay; the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by the inhibition of albumin denaturation method; the in vitro antitumor activity was determined in human metastatic breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 using 3-(4,5-Dimethyl -2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.

resultsThe ethanolic propolis extracts exhibited the total phenolic content from 190.4 to 317.0 mg GAE/g, total flavonoid content from 53.4 to 79.3 mg QE/g and total caffeic acid derivatives content from 5.9 to 12.1 mg CAE/g. The studied propolis extracts showed significant antioxidant capacity (between 1000.3 and 1606.0 mM TE/g determined by the DPPH assay, and between 634.1 and 1134.5 mM TE/g determined by the FRAP assay). The chemical composition analysis indicated high concentrations of caffeic acid benzyl ester, chrysin, pinocembrin and pinobanksin-3-O-propionate, predominantly in three of the propolis samples originating from Gabrovo and Lovech regions. All propolis samples demonstrated promising in vitro anti-inflammatory activity, expressed as the inhibition of thermally induced albumin denaturation by 73.59% to 78.44%, which was higher than that of the conventional anti-inflammatory drugs Aspirin (58.44%) and Prednisolone Cortico (57.34%). The propolis samples exhibited high in vitro cytotoxicity against cancer cells MDA-MB-231 with IC

conclusionsOverall, we can suggest that the high phenolic content of Bulgarian propolis from respective areas contributes to its enhanced antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activity. Taken together, our results support the beneficial properties of Bulgarian propolis, with potential application as a promising therapeutic agent.

Indexed as

anti-inflammatory activityantioxidant activityantitumor activityphenolic profilepropolis

Identifiers

PMID40002747
PMCPMC11852768

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