Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Propolis Water and Ethanolic Extracts

Abstract

For consumers, natural, healthy food should be used as a natural additive, replacing chemical additives. Propolis is one of the natural substances that can fulfill that role. Propolis contains bioactive compounds with antimicrobial and antioxidant capacity. The antimicrobial and antioxidant action of two different of propolis extracts: (i)Water extract of propolis (WEP) and (ii) Ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP). It was found that WEP has no antimicrobial effect on the tested undesirable examined microorganisms, while EEP varied in antimicrobial effect on them. The inhibition zone indicated that the high effect was found against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (21.36 mm) followed by Streptococcus pyogenes (16.24 mm), the lowest effect detected against Listeria monocytogenes ATCC19116 (10.50 mm) and had a moderate effect on Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 10788 (12.90 mm). The results of quantitative analysis of phenols and flavonoids in propolis extracts. WEP showed high content of gallic acid, p-hydroxy benzoic acid, catechin, syringic acid, benzoic acid, cinnamic acid and quercitin. On the other hand EEP was higher than WEP in p-coumaric acid, o-coumaric acid. It was clear that WEP had more antioxidant activity than EEP.