Green Propolis: A Review of Pharmaceutical Patents with Potential Therapeutic Applications

Green propolis is a resin produced from Baccharis dracunculifolia, which has as its main compounds flavonoids, derivatives of cinnamic acids, such as artepillin C and baccarin. This resin has antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. This review aimed to analyze pharmaceutical patents containing green propolis in various formulations. The search was conducted in the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), the Patent Search of Spain and Latin America (Latipat-Espacenet), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and Google Patents, with a combination of the keywords green propolis, green propolis extract, pharmacology, and pharmaceutical product. Primary research identified 60 patents, from which 22 were selected after applying the inclusion criteria. The selected patents referred to products with pharmacological activities, from cancer treatment to food supplements and included innovations for improved controlled release of the green propolis compounds. Most of the documents concerned the preparation and/or formulation of the green propolis extract, followed by innovative extraction methods, treatment and systemic use, and finally by topical use and quality control techniques and procedures. Thus, the reviewed patents of green propolis provided valuable insights into the pharmaceutical applications of green propolis, showing its potential in diverse formulations and treatments.