35721

EFFICACY OF BRAZILIAN PROPOLIS AGAINST SOME PATHOLOGY

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Propolis is a resinous product collected by Apis mellifera from tree exudates, mainly resins of Leaf bud and propolis has been extensively used in food and beverge to improve health and prevent disease. The medical application of propolis preparation has led to an increased interesting its chemical compounds and its botanical origins, so far mainly polyphenol compounds have been identified in propolis. In a continuing effort to identify new anti-AID agents with novel mechanisms, We have coupled the discovery of anti-HIV principles from biologically active natural resources with modification of these lead compound to develop more potent anti-AIDS analogues. A methanolic extract of a Group 1 Brazilian propolis demonstrated significant anti-HIV activity. The new triterpenoid (1), moronic acid (2), anwuweizonic acid (3), and betulonic acid (4), and four aromatic compounds (5-8) were isolated from this propolis. Moronic acid (2) showed potent anti-AID agents. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that the ethanolic extracts of propolis suppress transformation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), which is a novel biological activity of propolis. AhR transformation is recognized as the initial action of dioxin toxicity. Dioxins, including the most toxic congener 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), are mainly incorporated into the body by ingestion of contaminated foods and bind to the cytosolic AhR; then the dioxin/AhR complex translocate to the nucleus, where it forms a heterodimer with another bHLH/PAS family protein, AhR nuclear translocator (ARNT). This heterodimer binds to the dioxin respoinse element (DRE), which is a cis-acting element found in the 5 regulatory regions of dioxin-responsive genes, and induces the transcription of proteins including drug-metabolizing enzymes. Transformed AhR also alters the phosphorylation status of various proteins, including signal transduction pathway for growth factors. Thus, the suppression of AhR transformation by food components could possibly reduce the AhR-mediated biological responses caused by dioxins.