Propolis from honeybees in the tropics

by J Kaal

In Newsletter 15 Mathew Kawa described his use of propolis to relieve malaria. Other readers have written to confirm that they too have found propolis effective. In the following article J Kaal gives more information on the harvesting and use of propolis. (I would like to emphasise that the ideas expressed in this article are the personal views of Mr Kaal and are not necessarily endorsed by the International Bee Research Association- Editor.)

The author worked for three years in Tanzania (1961-1964). His task was to work with beekeepers in the Kilimanjaro region, teaching processing methods for honey and wax in view of expanding export. He also prepared young candidates for the degree of Beemaster. He was able to carry out some research on the African honeybee Apis mellifera adansonii and tackled problems of migration and aggressiveness of these bees. He assisted local people privately with health problems by treating them with solutions based on propolis. He is still working with propolis in Amsterdam making about 20 different therapeutics from propolis and other bee products.

Propolis is a substance made and used by bees. It is composed mainly of resins, vegetable waxes and flavones. The bees collect these materials from leaf and flower buds, especially of conifers, beech, poplar oak, acacia, eucalyptus and grevilia. Honeybees make propolis by adding secretions of special glands (which contain enzymes) to the collected materials. These substances also give it a pleasant aroma differing from that of buds of poplar and resins. The colour of propolis varies from light brown to greenish or dark reddish brown. Propolis contains about 27% vegetable waxes, 46% balsams, about 15% flavones and flavonoids and a few percent of essential oils. The flavones and flavonoids are the especially active materials which produce the anti-inflammatory and anti-viral effects, not only in bees but also in man and other animals. Honeybees carry the substance to their colony in the pollen baskets of their rear legs. Young worker bees pull the sticky substance from the pollen baskets of foragers and carry it into the bee hive, they liquefy it with saliva and spread it in cells. This coating probably protects the eggs laid by the queen and the larvae against moulds, bacteria and viruses. Moreover they use propolis in the honeycombs, to make them stronger and give them a higher melting point, which is important especially in the tropics. They sometimes use large amounts of propolis at the hive entrance. They also cover the walls of the hive with a thin layer of propolis and store it in large globules.

Harvesting propolis

Propolis is harvested by some beekeepers in temperate zones to use as an active material for preparing ointments to treat many diseases. There is a demand for propolis in Europe and it is now being imported from China, Russia and South America. It is considered a valuable addition to the allopathic medicines normally used. Each colony in a frame hive can provide the beekeeper with about 60 g of propolis every year. It is possible to increase production by placing a screen of 1.5 mm mesh gauze on top of a colony situated in a hive with frames or top-bars with spaces between them. The bees will “propolize” the gauze ie seal it up completely with propolis. The propolis has to be scraped off but under tropical conditions this is not at all easy. The material becomes sticky and needs to be frozen before scraping it from the gauze. It is not allowed to heat propolis to more than 40°C because the volatile substances which are most valuable will partly evaporate. So it must not be melted out of the gauze. However in a tropical climate it is possible to scrape propolis off the top-bars and the inner sides of the hives after the honey has been extracted. It is best done in the cool season, preferably early in the morning. In the tropics beekeepers use propolis to attract swarms. They make a small ball of propolis and rub the inner sides of empty hives to bait it.

Propolis used in medicine

Although propolis is not recognised as an official medicine in Western countries, it has been used officially in Russia since 1962 and is also legally recognised in East European countries and in China. Propolis from different sources contains many flavones and flavonoids. 38 different representatives of this group have been identified in propolis. Most of these compounds are present in all samples of propolis and contribute to its characteristic properties, depending on the botanical origins. This makes it difficult to use in the pharmaceutical industry. Active substances should not be extracted from the mixture because their actions complement each other. The whole product is needed to produce a satisfactory therapeutical effect. It is not possible to produce propolis artificially because too many substances are involved. Based upon experience and upon literature and reports, the following pharmacological activities are attributed to propolis:

Propolis is effective in the cure of several viral diseases like shingles, influenza, Pfeiffer’s disease and Crohn's disease. It also has anti-fungal and antibacterial activity. For instance against Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus alvii, Bacillus larvae, Proteus bulgaris and Escherizia coli B. It destroys several types of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Salmonella species. It is useful against inflammations inside and outside the body. It is astringent and stimulates the replacement and growth of cells and tissue. Combined with honey and fat it is an excellent ointment for wounds. Propolis has anti-rheumatic qualities especially if taken orally. It has a special quality that enhances the immune system of the body and stimulates the defence system against infectious diseases. Propolis is very active anaesthetic, and for local treatment is even more powerful than cocaine.

How to use propolis

The most practical way to use propolis orally is to take a few chips and swallow them; about one gram per day (a teaspoonful) is enough. If it is taken as a cure for inflammation somewhere in the head or the throat it is better to warm the pieces of propolis in the mouth and press them against a tooth. After some pressure with a finger it will stick and it will slowly dissolve in saliva. It takes about half an hour and it will work perfectly. To use propolis externally it has to be extracted in 70% ethyl alcohol. This dissolves practically all the essential oils and some of the balsam. The wax does not dissolve. The tincture is made by putting propolis in fine pieces in a pot which can be tightly closed. It should be filled up to a few centimetres below the rim. Fill it up with 70% ethyl alcohol to about one centimetre above the propolis. Leave it for three days, shaking the mixture once or twice daily. The extract will then be ready and has to be strained through a nylon stocking or some other fine material. A dark brown tincture will be the result. If 70% ethyl alcohol is not available a strong drink can be used, for example whiskey. The tincture is made in the same way, it will be yellowish and the strength will be less of course, but it will be effective. Both solutions can be used internally. The extract in 70% ethyl alcohol should be taken as follows: 10 drops on preferably a teaspoon of honey, on a lump of sugar or on a peppermint sweet. The solution in a strong drink can be diluted with 50% water (it will become milky) and taken in small quantities (a dessertspoonful) three times a day. An ointment can be made from the tincture. At first the solution has to be mixed thoroughly with the same quantity of clean honey. Then it can be mixed with an edible fatty substance like butter, or ghee, and again it should be stirred until evenly mixed with the same quantity of the first mixture (with ethyl alcohol and honey). One should experiment with small quantities to find a suitable fatty substance. The ointment should be kept in a closed container in a cool place. The ointment can be used for a wide variety of complaints, stimulating the healing process and protecting against infections: wounds, grazes, burns, acne, dry eczema, psoriasis, herpes, itch, inflammations (also of the ear), boils, warts, bruises and pain.

The ointment is active for about six hours. For cuts and wounds it can be added on a plaster, for other purposes it can be rubbed gently onto the skin as a thin layer. A final word about the toxicity of propolis. Relatively few studies have been carried out on the subject, but generally it is recognised as harmless. In cases of serious low blood-pressure or low blood sugar, propolis should not be taken orally. In these cases it can cause dizziness. Although there is an indication that one in a thousand people may be sensitive it cannot be harmful to your health. To test for allergy to propolis simply apply some propolis salve on the inner wrist. If it does not redden or itch within a quarter of an hour, the patient is not allergic to propolis.