Sonoran Propolis: Chemical Composition and Antiproliferative Activity on Cancer Cell Lines

 

 Buy Article Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

In this study, we have analyzed the chemical composition and antiproliferative activity of propolis from three different arid and semiarid regions of Sonora, Mexico. We identified and quantitated the main chemical constituents of propolis by HPLC-MS. The most abundant constituents of propolis were pinocembrin, pinobanksin 3-acetate, and chrysin. Sonoran propolis had a strong antiproliferative activity on both murine and human cancer cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner. The propolis constituents CAPE, galangin, xanthomicrol and chrysin showed significant antiproliferative activity on most of the cancer cells tested. DNA harvested from cancer cell cultures treated with Sonoran propolis exhibited a ladder of internucleosomal DNA cleavage characteristic of apoptosis. In summary, we have identified and quantitated the main constituents of Sonoran propolis. These propolis samples possess a strong antiproliferative activity on cancer cell lines.

Abbreviations

ANOVA:analysis of variance

CAPE:caffeic acid phenethyl ester

CP:Caborca propolis

DAD:diode array detector

DMSO:dimethyl sulfoxide

MTT:3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide

PAP:Pueblo de Alamos propolis

UP:Ures propolis

References

• 1 Burdock G A. Review of the biological properties and toxicity of bee propolis (propolis).  Food Chem Toxicol. 1998;  36 347-63.
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 2 Bankova V S, de Castro S L, Marucci M C. Propolis: recent advances in chemistry and plant origin.  Apidologie. 2000;  31 3-15.
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 3 Banskota A H, Tezuka Y, Kadota S. Recent progress in pharmacological research of propolis.  Phytother Res. 2001;  15 561-71.
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 4 Bankova V. Recent trends and important developments in propolis research.  Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2005;  2 29-32.
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 5 Castaldo S, Capasso F. Propolis, an old remedy used in modern medicine.  Fitoterapia. 2002;  73 S1-6.
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 6 Bankova V. Chemical diversity of propolis and the problem of standardization.  J Ethnopharmacol. 2005;  100 114-7.
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 7 Wollenweber E, Buchmann S L. Feral honey bees in the Sonoran Desert: Propolis sources other than poplars (Populus spp.)  Z Naturforsch (C). 1997;  52 530-5.
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 8 Valcic S, Montenegro G, Timmermann B N. Lignans from Chilean propolis.  J Nat Prod. 1998;  61 771-5.
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 9 Munoz O, Pena R C, Ureta E, Montenegro G,Timmermann B N. Propolis from Chilean matorral hives.  Z Naturforsch (C). 2001;  56 269-72.
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 10 Russo A, Cardile V, Sanchez F, Troncoso N, Vanella A, Garbarino J A. Chilean propolis: antioxidant activity and antiproliferative action in human tumor cell lines.  Life Sci. 2004;  76 545-58.
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 11 Grunberger D, Banerjee R, Eisinger K, Oltz E M, Efros L, Caldwell M. et al . Preferential cytotoxicity on tumor-cells by caffeic acid phenethyl ester isolated from propolis.  Experientia. 1988;  44 230-2.
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 12 Mosmann T. Rapid colorimetric assay for cellular growth and survival: application to proliferation and cytotoxicity assays.  J Immunol Methods. 1983;  65 55-63.
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 13 Garciaviguera C, Ferreres F, Toma-barberan F A. Study of Canadian propolis by GC-MS and HPLC.  Z Naturforsch (C). 1993;  48 731-5.
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 14 Wollenweber E, Hradetzky D, Mann K, Roitman J N, Yatskievych G, Proksch M. et al . Exudate flavonoids from aerial parts of 5 Ambrosia species.  J Plant Physiol. 1987;  131 37-43.
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 15 Fesen M R, Pommier Y, Leteurtre F, Hiroguchi S, Yung J, Kohn K W. Inhibition of HIV-1 integrase by flavones, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and related-compounds.  Biochem Pharmacol. 1994;  48 595-608.
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 16 Natarajan K, Singh S, Burke T R, Grunberger D, Aggarwal B B. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester is a potent and specific inhibitor of activation of nuclear transcription factor NF-kappa B.  Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1996;  93 9090-5.
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 17 Michaluart P, Masferrer J L, Carothers A M, Subbaramaiah K, Zweifel B S, Koboldt C. et al . Inhibitory effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on the activity and expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in human oral epithelial cells and in a rat model of inflammation.  Cancer Res. 1999;  59 2347-52.
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 18 Okutan H, Ozcelik N, Yilmaz H R, Uz E. Effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in diabetic rat heart.  Clin Biochem. 2005;  38 191-6.
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 19 Xiang D B, Wang D, He Y J, Xie J, Zhong Z Y, Li Z P. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester induces growth arrest and apoptosis of colon cancer cells via the beta-catenin/T-cell factor signaling.  Anticancer Drugs. 2006;  17 753-62.
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 20 Burke T R, Fesen M R, Mazumder A, Wang J, Carothers A M, Grunberger D. et al . Hydroxylated aromatic inhibitors of HIV-1 integrase.  J Med Chem. 1995;  38 4171-8.
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 21 Son S, Lewis B A. Free radical scavenging and antioxidative activity of caffeic acid amide and ester analogues: Structure-activity relationship.  J Agric Food Chem. 2002;  50 468-72.
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 22 Chen Y J, Shiao M S, Hsu M L, Tsai H T, Wang S Y. Effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester, an antioxidant from propolis, on inducing apoptosis in human leukemic HL-60 cells.  J Agric Food Chem. 2001;  49 5615-9.
  CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
• 23 Watabe M, Hishikawa K, Takayanagi A, Shimizu N, Nakaki T. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester induces apoptosis by inhibition of NF kappa B and activation of Fas in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells.  J Biol Chem. 2004;  279 6017-26.
  PubMedGoogle Scholar

Carlos Velazquez

Department of Chemistry-Biology

University of Sonora

Blvd. Luis Encinas y Rosales s/n

Hermosillo

Sonora 83000

Mexico

Phone: +52-662-259-2163

Fax: +52-662-259-2163

Email: velaz@guayacan.uson.mx

• Supplementary Material