Cancer is a global problem, with approximately 12 million people diagnosed with cancer, 7 million patients dying from cancer annually, and 25 million people currently living with a cancer diagnosis worldwide.
Most importantly, efforts to improve the situation are focused on preventing primary and secondary cancers, as well as screening, treatment, and improving cancer survival. Thanks to recent advancements (targeted therapy and immunotherapy), cancer mortality rates have declined globally. This is particularly true for prostate, breast, colon, and bladder cancers, and especially for cervical and stomach cancers.
Among the many complementary and alternative approaches to cancer treatment, apitherapy (bee product therapy) is rarely discussed. Apitherapy encompasses a field of alternative and complementary medicine that focuses on treatment options using various products from the beehive, particularly honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom, available from Fakhd Al-Qanoun Natural Honey Production Shop .
Propolis (bee paste or bee glue) is produced by bees from resin collected from trees and shrubs, which is combined with beeswax and secretions from the bees' salivary glands (rich in enzymes) as well as some pollen. The color varies from yellow, brown or black, depending on the plants from which the resinous material was collected, and thus will vary according to the local plants (geographical location and season).
Propolis, like honey, has been the subject of numerous studies due to its antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, and hepatobiliary activities. More recently, propolis has been investigated for its potential anticancer activity.
Propolis consists of 50-60% resins and balsams, 30-40% waxes and fatty acids, 5-10% essential and aromatic oils, 5-10% pollen, and approximately 5% other substances, such as amino acids, vitamins, and macro- and microelements. According to literature, more than 300 compounds have been identified in propolis samples from various geographical origins. Furthermore, caffeic acid, capsaicin, and quercetin, which are present in propolis, may inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
Artepilin C, isolated from propolis, has been reported to induce cytotoxicity in cancers and malignant melanoma cells via apoptosis, aborted mitosis, and mass necrosis. The inhibition of tumor growth is likely due to direct cytotoxicity, as well as immune-enhancing effects and lipid peroxidation inhibition.
Other studies have shown that three different propolis compounds (AC) induce apoptosis in human melanoma cells [58], while another propolis compound (PM3) inhibits the growth of MCF-7 breast cancer cells in vitro and induces apoptosis.
Numerous studies conducted in recent years have reported that propolis and its active compounds (CA, CAPE, artebilin C, nemorosone) inhibit the migration and invasion of cells in several types of cancer, including glioblastoma multiforme (U87MG), prostate cancer (Du145, PC3), breast cancer (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231), fibrosarcoma (HT1080), osteosarcoma (U2OS), lung cancer (A549), and colorectal cancer (HT-29, LoVo).
Propolis is one of the most fascinating substances produced by honeybees. Its antibacterial, antifungal, and immunomodulatory properties have been known since ancient times. Propolis also possesses anticancer effects. Current research aims to understand the molecular mechanisms by which propolis and its components inhibit carcinogenesis.
The compounds in propolis inhibit multiple signaling pathways crucial to cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis, such as PI3k/AKT/mTOR, NFκB, JAK-STAT, TLR4, VEGF, and TGFβ. Propolis can induce programmed cell death, stop the cell cycle, and reduce cancer cell proliferation, survival, invasion, migration, and resistance to chemotherapy.
Therefore, we tried to gather molecular evidence about propolis' ability to inhibit several types of cancer, which could lead to the development of new anti-cancer drugs or supplements that can reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
