Propolis – from nuisance to new medicine

James Fearnley, Apiceutical Research Centre/International Propolis Research Group

I remember meeting beekeepers in Vancouver, Canada 25 years ago and talking about the amazing medicinal properties of propolis: they were not impressed. One beekeeper said they were trying to breed out the tendency of their black bees to produce large amounts of propolis, as for them it was a nuisance and an irritation for the main purpose of beekeeping - the production of honey! Since that meeting, research into the medicinal properties of propolis has increased exponentially with hundreds of papers published every year from institutions all over the world. My own work includes two books about propolis and contributions to over 30 peer review research papers, with papers illustrating how propolis is effective against MRSA.

I founded the Apiceutical Research Centre (ARC) to research and develop ‘Apiceuticals’ (medicines from bee products) and sustainable beekeeping. ARC organised the first conference in the UK on medicines from the beehive with the ambitious title –

Apiceuticals: Future Medicine?

The International Propolis Research Group (IPRG), which I started six years ago, holds a conference every two years for academics from around the world to discuss Propolis: in Human and Bee Health. The last physical conference in Sofia, Bulgaria attracted over 125 researchers with over 40 papers presented. The Conference planned for Istanbul in 2020 had to be postponed because of COVID 19, but the stream of research into the use of propolis did not stop. Clinical trials research began to appear regarding the use of propolis in treating COVID , upper respiratory tract infections and metabolic syndrome that is diseases connected with COVID, for example diabetes and obesity. Rather than waiting for COVID to abate and travel to be allowed again, the IPRG decided to hold an online conference - stressful but highly successful! Over 3,000 people viewed the conference Propolis: Medicine for the Future? with 400 participants from 90 countries and 40 papers presented. Our paper showed how propolis combined with antibiotics can radically improve antibiotic efficiency and reduce side effects. Propolis is talked of as a new medicine rather than a nuisance. It has become a bridge between traditional natural medicines/herbal medicines and pharmaceutical medicines and is proving to be a real contender in the fight against antibiotic resistance, defined by the WHO as a global health challenge. Global interest in the medicinal properties of propolis is now a reality – looking at the ways that propolis works by stimulating our immune system, by disabling bacteria and viruses rather than by destroying them. Propolis is leading the way towards a more holistic, gentler, and hopefully, ultimately, a more humane and effective medicine for the future. More at: www.apiceuticalresearchcentre.org www.iprg.info