Can propolis and their compounds be efficacy in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? A systematic review

Abstract

Despite the advancement of vaccination and the reduction in the number of deaths, there is still the emergence of new variants, such as the omicron of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). In this sense, new natural antiviral therapies are highly explored. One of these products, propolis, have shown promising results against COVID-19, including the inhibition of the binding between the coronavirus and ACE2. This systematic review aimed to gather a summary of scientific evidence existing on the effective of the therapeutic use of propolis and their components in the treatment of COVID-19. The protocol for the present systematic review was registered on the PROSPERO (CRD42021267016). In this study, we analyzed 185 articles, selecting 13 of them. Some phenolic compounds and flavonoids, such as artepillin C, hesperetin, CAPE and rutin, were widely cited, as they have great potential for binding with the molecular targets of SARS-CoV-2. Some clinical studies that evaluated the effects of propolis against COVID-19 were included, and confirmed the effectiveness of propolis and its components. The results of this review demonstrate the effectiveness of using propolis and their components in the treatment of COVID-19 due to its antiviral activities. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties can help to patients with COVID-19.