**4. Biological activities of** *Apis mellifera*

*Essential Oils - Bioactive Compounds, New Perspectives and Applications*

role as olfactory cues during resin collection by bees.

phenolic compounds, and phenolic acids, for example.

*headspace*. Then, 99 chemical components were identified.

**Major compounds Reference** (E)-nerolidol [57]

2,2-Dimethyl-8-renyl-6-vinylchromene [54]

tion [55, 56].

indices (RI).

β-caryophyllene

Acetophenone Linalool

**Table 1.**

Petrolatum 3.7 (11)-diene

2,6-Diprenyl-4-vinylphenol

trees, volatile compounds of propolis essential oil have variable chemical composi-

The volatile constituents of propolis are responsible for the pleasant aroma and contribute to its biological activity. These constituents may also play an important

The chemical composition of propolis essential oil has already been studied, especially in Brazil. In the work of Albuquerque et al. [57], the chemical composition of propolis essential oil produced by *Apis mellifera* bees in Minas Gerais state was determined. Oliveira et al. [8], Kasumoto et al. [58], and Bancova et al. [10] also studied the chemical composition of propolis essential oil obtained in Brazil, in different regions, as can be seen in **Table 1**. The identification of each compound was performed by comparison with mass spectra and retention

In conducting the first study on propolis essential oil, Janas and Bumba [59] identified few constituents, such as benzoic acid, benzylic acid, vanillin, and eugenol. But later studies [60] show that the constituents of propolis essential oil are quite diverse, with variations in their polar constituents such as flavonoids,

Frederica Pellati et al. [61] collected nine samples of propolis from *Apis mellifera* in different locations in Italy, extracted their essential oil through hydrodistillation, and identified them by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectroscopy and

**Country Main compounds Biological activity Reference**

Tunisia α-Pinene (45.22%), cedrol (8.23%) Antifungal [10]

Brazil Longipinene (24.9%), α-eudesmol (6.9%) Therapeutic effect [66]

Antibacterial and antifungal

Repellent activity against bees

Antibacterial [63]

Antioxidant [64]

[62]

[65]

Bulgaria β-eudesmol (8.8%), δ-cadinene (5.3%), sesquiterpene alcohol (15.5%)

*Major volatile constituents of propolis in Brazil.*

Turkey Ethyl phenyl alcohol (7.7%), benzyl alcohol

nonanal (5%), cedrol (4.1%)

Brazil Acetophenone (15.2%), nerolidol (13.3%), spatulenol (11.6%)

*Main compounds and their biological activities in propolis.*

(6.0%)

India Tricosane (13,6%), hexacosane (11.5%), palmitic acid (8.5%), linalool (6.7%), methyleugenol

(7.4%), decanal (6.7%), ethyl benzoate (6.5%),

**128**

**Table 2.**

The main chemical compounds isolated from *Apis mellifera* are aliphatic acids and esters, aromatic acids and esters, sugars, alcohols, aldehydes, fatty acids, amino acids, steroids, ketones, chalcones and dihydrochalcones, flavonoids (flavones, flavonols, and flavonones), terpenoids, proteins, vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, E, as well as various minerals. Although flavonoids are the most studied components, they are not the only responsible for its pharmacological properties. Several other compounds have been related to the medicinal properties of *Apis mellifera* [68, 69]*.*

There are reports attributing to *A. mellifera* the most varied applications in folk and veterinary medicine, which corroborates its great therapeutic potential, especially in relation to anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antineoplastic, antidiabetic, and antioxidant activities [70].

#### **4.1 Anti-inflammatory activity**

Amaral et al. [69] evaluated the anti-inflammatory potential of *Apis mellifera* against stomach inflammation induced in healthy adult female Wistar rats infected with *Helicobacter pylori.* This bacterium may cause chronic irritation and increase the risk of developing gastric ulcers. They concluded that the administration of solutions of *Apis mellifera* increases the endogen prostacyclin in rats mucosa, incrementing cytoprotection, and reducing pathogen population. In addition, the high contents of phenolic compounds and flavonoids aid in the protection of the mucin producing cells of the stomach, also contributing to its therapeutic potential.

#### **4.2 Antimicrobial activity**

Han et al. [71] evaluated the response of *Apis mellifera* venom (BV) against *acne vulgaris,* in order to prove its antimicrobial potential. *Acne vulgaris* is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the sebaceous follicles. The authors incubated *P. acnes,* clindamycin-resistant *P. acnes*, *Staphylococcus epidermidis*, and *Streptococcus pyogenes*. In their results, BV proved to be bacteriostatic and exhibited low cytotoxicity at 10 μg/ml in human epidermal keratinocytes and monocytes. The authors state that BV can be an alternative for the treatment of *acne vulgaris*.

#### **4.3 Antineoplastic activity**

There are several studies that report the antineoplastic activity of *Apis mellifera*. Lee et al. [71] evaluated the anticancer potential of *Apis mellifera* venom (BV), which showed cytotoxicity in HL-60 cells and normal human lymphocytes. Hamzaoglu et al. [71] implanted cancer cells into mice wounds. A significant decrease in the tumors was observed in mice that were treated with *Apis mellifera*

coating before and after surgery. This property may be due to its hypertonicity, acceleration of epithelization, low pH, and the presence of inhibin and catalase.
