Heterogeneity factors of the antioxidant potential of propolis from the bee Apis mellifera: a review

Abstract

Bees produce propolis from balsamic materials collected from plants. It is a natural product with several functions within the hive. Currently, science has already proven several biological actions of this material, such as antioxidant. However, there are still challenges regarding the standardization of collection techniques, sample preparation, analysis, and quality control, making it diffi cult for the industry to use propolis. This review investigated the possible heterogeneity factors of the antioxidant potential of propolis, considering the entire process of obtaining, from the origin of the hives to the forms of extraction of propolis from the Apis mellifera bee. The search for this review was carried out in the following databases and search tools: SciELO, Google Scholar, PubMed, MEDLINE, Catalog of Dissertations and Theses from CAPES, BVS, CRD, Embase, Science Direct, Scopus, and Cochrane Library. Publications in Portuguese, English, and Spanish (2011 to 2021) were included. A total of 173 studies were obtained that proved the important antioxidant activity of the propolis extract of A. mellifera. However, the numerical results of antioxidant potential differed greatly from each other. The main heterogeneity factors found in the methodologies were: place and time of collection (seasonality), bee race, type of propolis or its botanical source, and extract preparation (solvent, extraction time, and methodology).