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. 2021 Sep 15;9(9):1227.
doi: 10.3390/biomedicines9091227.

Can Propolis Be a Useful Adjuvant in Brain and Neurological Disorders and Injuries? A Systematic Scoping Review of the Latest Experimental Evidence

Felix Zulhendri  1 , Conrad O Perera  2 , Steven Tandean  3
Affiliations

Can Propolis Be a Useful Adjuvant in Brain and Neurological Disorders and Injuries? A Systematic Scoping Review of the Latest Experimental Evidence

Felix Zulhendri et al. Biomedicines. .

Abstract

Propolis has been used therapeutically for centuries. In recent years, research has demonstrated its efficacy as a potential raw material for pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. The aim of the present scoping review is to examine the latest experimental evidence regarding the potential use of propolis in protecting the brain and treating neurological disorders and injuries. A systematic scoping review methodology was implemented. Identification of the research themes and knowledge gap was performed. After applying the exclusion criteria, a total of 66 research publications were identified and retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, Pubmed, and Google Scholar. Several key themes where propolis is potentially useful were subsequently identified, namely detoxification, neuroinflammation, ischemia/ischemia-reperfusion injury/traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy models, depression, cytotoxicity, cognitive improvement, regenerative medicine, brain infection, and adverse effects. In conclusion, propolis is shown to have protective and therapeutic benefits in alleviating symptoms of brain and neurological disorders and injuries, demonstrated by various in vitro studies, animal models, and human clinical trials. Further clinical research into this area is needed.

Keywords: adjuvant therapy; brain; neurology; nutraceuticals; pharmaceuticals; propolis.

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Conflict of interest statement

KebunEfi produces propolis extracts from Indonesian stingless bees. All other authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The screening process of the studies adapted from Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The percentages of the types of studies investigating the therapeutic use of propolis in the brain and in neurological disorders and injuries.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The types of propolis extract used in the included studies.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The potential use of propolis in treating brain and neurological injuries and disorders and its mode of action based on the latest experimental data. Green and red arrows indicate increased and reduced activity/expression, respectively.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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