Anti-Inflammatory, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Photoprotective Investigation of Red Propolis Extract as Sunscreen Formulation in Polawax Cream

Many activities have been described for propolis, including, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, antioxidant and wound healing properties. Recently, propolis has been highlighted due to its potential application in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, motivating a better understanding of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Propolis and its main polyphenolic compounds presented high antioxidant activity, and effectiveness as broad spectrum UVB and UVA photoprotection sunscreens. Through a qualitative phytochemical screening, the ethanolic red propolis extracts (EEPV) (70% at room temperature and 70% at a hot temperature) presented a positive result for flavonoids and terpenoids. It presented an antioxidant activity for reducing 50% of DPPH of 17 and 12 mu g/mL for extraction at room temperature and at a hot temperature, respectively. The UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis allowed the annotation of 40 substances for EEPV-Heated and 42 substances for EEPV-Room Temperature. The IC50 results of the ABTS scavenging activity was 4.7 mu g/mL for both extractions, at room temperature and at a hot temperature. Additionally, we also evaluated the cytotoxic profile of propolis extracts against macrophage (RAW 264.7 cells) and keratinocytes (HaCaT cells), which showed non-cytotoxic doses in cell viability assays even after a long period of exposure. In addition, propolis extracts showed antibacterial activity for Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis), demonstrating potential biological activity for the creation of formulations aimed at disease control and prevention.

Automated summary

Propolis is a natural substance with various biological activities, including antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, antioxidant, and wound healing properties. It has garnered attention in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries for its potential applications, particularly in the areas of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Studies have shown that propolis exhibits high antioxidant activity and can act as a broad-spectrum sun protector against UVB and UVA radiation. The extract of red propolis obtained through ethanolic extraction showed positive results for flavonoids and terpenoids, as well as effective antioxidant and antibacterial activities.