Effects of propolis crude hydroalcoholic extract on chromosomal aberrations induced by doxorubicin in rats

Propolis has been reported to display a broad spectrum of biological activities such as anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and antifungal properties, among others. There is great interest not only in the determination of the chemical composition of propolis but also in the understanding of the mechanisms related to its therapeutic actions. In this respect, the aim of the present investigation was to study the influence of both simultaneous (6, 12 and 24 mg/kg b. w.) and subacute (12 mg/kg b. w.) treatment with a crude hydroalcoholic extract of propolis on the frequency of chromosome aberrations induced by the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (DXR) in Wistar rat bone marrow cells. HPLC analysis of the crude extract allowed the quantification of the phenolic compounds: caffeic acid, P-coumaric acid, aromadendrin 4'-methyl ether, 3-prenyl- P-coumaric acid (drupanin), isosakuranetin, kaempferide, 3,5-diprenyl- P-coumaric acid (artepellin C), baccharin and 2,2-dimethyl-6-carboxyethenyl-2 H-1-benzopyran. A total of 100 metaphase cells/animal were analyzed for chromosome aberration frequency and 1000 cells/animal were counted to obtain the mitotic index. The results showed that the dose of 12 mg propolis/kg b. w., administered either as a single dose or as subacute treatment, caused a statistically significant decrease in the frequency of chromosome damage induced by DXR compared to the group treated only with DXR. This reduction might be, in part, due to the presence of phenolic compounds in the studied propolis, which are able to capture free radicals produced by chemotherapeutic agents such as DXR.