The
Brazilian propolis produced by Africanized bees is composed by a mixture
of wax
and resins and has a great variety of colors and consistence. . Bees
collect
propolis from various parts of the plants like rind of trees, sprout and
flower
bud. Propolis can be considered the most efficient natural medicament
discovered
in the occident. There are scientists that believe propolis was used in
popular
medicine before the age of old Egypt. Propolis has been known since the
times of
old Greece. The word propolis, from Greek origin, is a combination of
Pro
(defense) and polis (city), which in general, means to defend a
city. A
city, in this case, refers to a hive, a place where bees work and live,
and
constitutes a real city (Matsuno, 1997: 15).
For
bees, the natural Propolis function is to impede the invasions of hive,
protecting it from the attack of microorganisms. This protection
increases the
antibiotic, antiseptic and healing power of this product. According to
LUDUVIG
(1996: 103), in the seventies propolis was used only by naturalist
persons to
combat throat pains, infections and alleviate colds. The results of its
application were so much and good that scientists from every part of the
world
started to research the product, getting interesting conclusions (p.
104). Both
authors, Luduvig and Matsuno agreed on the point that oriental
scientists,
especially from Japan, are very interested in propolis produced in
Brazil. For
scientists, our propolis is considered the best of the world.
One
of these scientists, Tsuguo Yamamoto, from Japan Propolis Association
and
Ministry for Health of Japan in 1994, came to Brazil several times to
develop
projects with our universities. Luduvig emphasized in her work that
according to
Yamamoto, the propolis produced in Brazil has excellent quality because
of our
climate and flora; mainly the ones produced from apiaries situated next
to
rosemary and eucalypt trees (p.105). I agree with Yamamoto’s point of
view in
relation to our climate. Bees don’t like to work in winter, they prefer
tropical climates as Brazil and New Zealand and consequently these are
the
countries that appear in the first positions of the schedule of
production.
Matsuno
informed that the therapeutic effects of propolis have been distributed
in the
two big groups of active principles that it contains: flavonoid is
considered
the principal; phenolic acid and alcohol follow. (p.22).
The quantity of each of these elements depends on the flora
utilized by
bees. Depending on the origin, propolis can contain more than 400
chemical
substances, with functions still unknown in human physiology.
It is believed that the ideal propolis is the one produced in
regions
without a minimum of environment pollution, distant from big towns and
industries (p.23).
Nowadays,
many classes of people largely use propolis. After the discovery of
propolis
therapeutic action to combat even cancer, we can find it in different
packages
and forms in stores and markets. Propolis dissolved in alcoholic
solution seems
to be the most efficient kind of extract. I can affirm it because since
the
beginning of the eighties I have been using it against allergy and
throat
infections.
Sources:
- Matsuno,
Tetsuya; Ph.D. – The therapeutic effect of propolis; Nova
York, 1997.
-
Luduvig, Monica
Martinez. – Propolis; “Saúde”, Brazilian Magazine, May, 1996.
Tarcísio
Martins - Jornalista
Gerente
de Marketing - Conap