title: Antibacterial and leishmanicidal activity of Bolivian propolis.
abstract: The antimicrobial activity of Bolivian propolis was assessed for the first time on a panel of bacteria and two endemic parasitic protozoa. Ten samples of Bolivian propolis and their main constituents were tested using the micro-broth dilution method against 11 bacterial pathogenic strains as well as against promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis and L. braziliensis using the XTT-based colorimetric method. The methanolic extracts showed antibacterial effect ranging from inactive (MICs > 1000 μg ml(-1) ) to low (MICs 250-1000 μg ml(-1) ), moderate (62·5-125 μg ml(-1) ) and high antibacterial activity (MIC 31·2 μg ml(-1) ), according to the collection place and chemical composition. The most active samples towards Leishmania species were from Cochabamba and Tarija, with IC50 values of 12·1 and 7·8, 8·0 and 10·9 μg ml(-1) against L. amazonensis and Leishmania brasiliensis respectively. The results show that the best antibacterial and antiprotozoal effect was observed for some phenolic-rich propolis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Propolis is used in Bolivia as an antimicrobial agent. Bolivian propolis from the main production areas was assessed for antibacterial and leishmanicidal effect and the results were compared with the propolis chemical composition. The active antibacterial propolis samples were phenolic-rich while those containing mainly triterpenes were devoid of activity or weakly active. A similar picture was obtained for the effect on Leishmania, with better effect for the phenolic-rich samples. As propolis is used for the same purposes regardless of the production area and composition, our findings indicate the need for the standardization of this natural product as antimicrobial.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Química de Productos Naturales, Instituto de Química de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile.|Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Programa de Magister en Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nina
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ingeniería, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, San Juan, Argentina.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ingeniería, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, San Juan, Argentina.
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Feresin
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Químico Farmacéuticas y Bioquímicas, Instituto de Investigaciones Fármaco Bioquímicas - IIFB, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés - UMSA, La Paz, Bolivia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giménez
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Químico Farmacéuticas y Bioquímicas, Instituto de Investigaciones Fármaco Bioquímicas - IIFB, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés - UMSA, La Paz, Bolivia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salamanca Capusiri
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Química de Productos Naturales, Instituto de Química de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmeda-Hirschmann
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D007891:Leishmania / Q000187:drug effects*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; D010636:Phenols; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011429:Propolis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010636:Phenols; D028321:Plant Preparations; D011429:Propolis
keywords: Bolivia; antibacterial activity; bacteria; disinfectant; leishmanicidal activity; phenolics; propolis; triterpenes