Phytochemical and anti-inflammatory properties of Senegalese propolis and isolated compounds

Propolis is a chemically complex resinous product collected from various plant sources by honeybees that has been used historically a traditional folk medicine in many parts of the world. The main constituents of propolis are beeswax and plant resins. We recently obtained Senegalese propolis, which, to our knowledge, has not been previously reported. The purpose of this study was to analyze the composition of Senegalese propolis and evaluate its anti-inflammatory activity. Ten known phenolic compounds with phenanthrene or stilbene skeletons were isolated. Nitric oxide (NO) production assay revealed that Senegalese propolis suppresses lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated production of NO in J774.1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The anti-inflammatory potency of Senegalese propolis was higher than that of other previously reported propolis. Furthermore, the eight compounds isolated from Senegalese propolis showed high anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the LPS-induced expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS). These results suggest that Senegalese propolis and its components have potential applications as anti-inflammatory agents.