Antimicrobial Activities of Propolis Samples Collected From Different Provinces of Turkey

Abstract

The propolis, which is a natural product that is collected by honey bees from the plants, especially flowers and buds, by mixing it with wax and resin, is used in the hive for many purposes. Apart from the use by the bees in the hive, propolis is a versatile compound that is used in medicine, cosmetics, food industry and apitherapy and which contains a wide variety of chemical substances having antibacterial and antioxidant effects. It was determined that the antimicrobial effects of propolis samples were higher against the Gram-positive bacteria species included in the study when compared to the Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts. The majority of the samples were found to be highly sensitive (16 mm and larger), while some were found to be moderately sensitive (11-15 mm). Among all strains of bacteria; it was demonstrated that the propolis sample obtained from Cankiri (Yaprakli) region performed the highest activity against Staphylococcus aureus while the lowest activity was performed by the propolis sample obtained from Balıkesir region against E. coli. In addition, it was determined that the propolis sample obtained from Eskişehir region had no antifungal effect against Candida parapsilosis yeast strain. It was specified that the antimicrobial activity demonstrated by all microorganisms against the propolis samples was less effective when compared to the control compounds, except for Candida krusei.