Propolis: the beehive’s immunitary system and the invisible mask

Since ancient times food supplements have been used to improve the health and the wellness, but
today of all days it is crucial to stay healthy and strong! The watchword is “equilibrium” to be ready, reinforcing the immune system and protecting the mucosae.

Our research has always been oriented to protect the upper respiratory tract and improve the immune
system. Here we want to underline some strategies in which the characterized polyphenol complex
from M.E.D. Propolis can be used to help the body.

The holistic approach to protect the body could be, academically, divided in tree steps:

Since Propolis is a natural source of polyphenols, containing more than 50% and more than 300 different
polyphenols, it is one of the most interesting product able to reach these goals. In nature there is no
vegetable source with the same etherogeneity and richness of polyphenols as Propolis, since it can count
on the hard work of the bees that collect and mix the best polyphenols of different plants.
In literature, there are hundreds of studies supporting the healthy properties of propolis, such as,
immunomodulatory, wound healing, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective and antidiabetic activities.
These propolis properties are ascribed to three main activities namely antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
and antimicrobial.

Avoid the entrance of the microorganisms: the invisible mask

Propolis is a resinous matrix that bees (Apis mellifera) collect from gems, exudates and plants, resulting in a heterogeneous mixture of many substances harvested, processed and used by bees to close hive holes and to protect it: Propolis functions as the immune system of the beehive. Despite bees live in an environment having high humidity rate and a temperature of 37°C, thanks to propolis they keep out bacteria, molds and fungi. The development of technological and analytical techniques, grounded on a long history in propolis extraction, has lead B Natural to the production of high quality, patented propolis extracts (M.E.D. Propolis), with standardized and characterized polyphenolic complex.  M.E.D. Propolis – that assures same activity in every extract and batch – is supported by in vitro and in vivo evaluations as well as clinical trials to prove the healthy effects.

When a pathogen breaches the initial barriers of the skin or a mucosal surface, both soluble and cellular innate defences mechanisms are encountered and an inflammatory response is rapidly initiated. Some of the most potent soluble antimicrobial factors encountered include complement, lysozymes, defensins, mucins, lectins, cathelicidins and lipocalins (Chairatana et al., 2017). In the upper respiratory tract, mucous membranes covered with secreted mucous, provide an innate barrier to infections. Reinforcing this barrier may be a good treatment strategy. For instance, barrier
could be strengthened by applying a formulated solution in form of mouth spray or an orosoluble tablet.

As regard the spray, t he barrier consists of glycerol, alcohol and M.E.D.
Propolis extract. In the formulation, the combination of glycerol and M.E.D. Propolis exerts a barrier function when applied to the pharyngeal mucous membrane. Glycerol, a natural humectant, attracts and retains nearby liquid and virus particles via absorption due to its high osmotic activity (Rowel et al.,2009), while Propolis partly degrades protein structures presented on the viral capsid, and thereby reduces the potential interaction between viral capsids and epithelial cells, resulting in a decreased viral load (Tewtrakul and Suhadhirasakul, 2003). The viral load is of importance as there is a dose-response function between exposed virus dose and probability of getting infected (Wilson et al.,2008).

A particularly important application is in the treatment of diseases of the oral cavity. It is also effective in fighting viruses (Šabanović et al., 2019). Moreover M.E.D. Propolis improves the healthy of epithelium and mucosa through its anti  inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial activity as demonstrated in in vitro and clinical studies (Zaccaria et al., 2017, 2019, Esposito et al.2020).

Download the full paper here: Be Healthy Be Strong

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