Recent Advances in the Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Propolis

Propolis is a resinous substance from beehive produced by the combination of plants and bee secretions. For a long time, this substance has gotten high attention in traditional and modern medicine. The aim of this review was to discuss the recent advances in the chemical composition and biological activities of propolis. The search for recent publications was based on several databases, such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Science-Direct, and Web of Sciences using relevant keywords. Literature data showed that several new compounds have recently been identified in propolis. The most important biological properties of propolis were discussed in this review, namely antibacterial, antiparasitic, antiviral, antioxidant, antileishmanial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, and anticancer. In terms of safety, the data showed low toxicity of propolis even at high doses. Overall, propolis can be considered a promising source of bioactive compounds for drug development.