title: Antimicrobial activity of stingless bee (Trigona sp.) propolis used in the folk medicine of Western Maharashtra, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stingless bee (Trigona sp.) propolis is widely used in the folk medicine of Western Maharashtra, India to treat a variety of ailments.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the chemical composition and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Indian stingless bee propolis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chemical composition of the ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) was determined by GC-MS analysis. A range of bacteria including multidrug resistant (MDR) cultures as well as a yeast strain was tested for antimicrobial activity using EEP. MIC, MBC, MFC, Kill curves and post agent effect (PAE) of the EEP were assessed using standard microbiological methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GC-MS analysis revealed that propolis contained 24 compounds (9 known and 15 newly reported). Many of these were known bioactive compounds, including antimicrobials. The MICs of EEP were in the range of 1.21-9.75μg/mL while the MBCs/MFC were between 2.43 and 19.5μg/mL. The time required to achieve 90% (1 log(10)) reduction in culture growth ranged between 1.06 and 3.53h at their respective MIC values. PAE for all the cultures was >24h.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Indian stingless bee propolis has a complex nature with 24 chemical compounds. It has a potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. The latter finding, in conjunction with other bioactive properties, could provide a scientific basis to its popular use in the Indian folk medicine.
authors.affiliation: Agharkar Research Institute, G. G. Agarkar Road, Pune 411 004, India.
authors.forename: Milind K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Choudhari
authors.forename: Sachin A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Punekar
authors.forename: Ramchandra V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Ranade
authors.forename: Kishore M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Paknikar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D001516:Bees; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007194:India; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011429:Propolis / Q000737:chemistry*; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D012997:Solvents; D000431:Ethanol; D011429:Propolis