Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment, cilt.36, sa.1, ss.44-55, 2022 (SCI-Expanded)
Bee pollen and propolis are considered as health-promoting foods with many therapeutic
(antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant) activities. This study analyzed the phenolic profile
and the antioxidant properties of Turkish bee pollen and propolis ethanolic extracts and assayed
their antiproliferative effect on myeloma cells and in vitro antibacterial activity against
Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antibacterial
activity assays included agar well diffusion and microdilution methods. The phenolic profile
and several aromatic compounds of the extracts were determined by high-performance liquid
chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD). The antiproliferative activity on
myeloma cells was determined by MTT test. The propolis extract had higher total phenolic
content (TPC), free-radical scavenging activity (DPPH) and half-maximal inhibitory
concentration (IC50) than the pollen ethanolic extract. Benzoic and cinnamic acid were the most
abundant aromatic substances in the pollen and propolis extracts, respectively. The IC50 values
of pollen and propolis extracts on myeloma cells were 1.49% and 2.88%, respectively. The
propolis extract was active against S. aureus and E. coli, but not
P. aeruginosa. The pollen
extract presented no detectable inhibition zone against the three bacterial strains. The minimum
inhibitory concentration (MIC) of both extracts for S. aureus and E. coli was 0.63% (w/v). The
minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the propolis extract was 1.25% for S. aureus
and E. coli. MIC could not be determined for the pollen extract in the tested bacteria. The pollen
and propolis extracts did not exert antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa up to 2.5%
concentration.