Chemical composition and pharmacological aspects of Malaysian stingless bee propolis: An up-to-date systematic review

Abstract

Propolis is a sticky substance produced by stingless bees for construction and defence of their hive. It has notable anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-hyperglycemic, and wound healing effects. The present review summarised and examined the phytochemical properties, mode of action and current research prospects of Malaysian propolis. A database search using Google Scholar, Web of Science and ScienceDirect generated 780 references; 30 relevant articles were included in the present review, of which 23 were in vitro studies and 7 were in vivo or animal studies. Propolis demonstrated antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperglycemic properties, indicating potential as a wound healing agent. Despite favourable findings, due to the scarcity of studies in the literature, more in-depth research and clinical validation on the synergistic effects, efficacy and optimum dosage of propolis are needed.