The newest developments in research on propolis plant sources are summarized. Special attention is paid to data based on reliable chemical evidence including comparison between propolis samples and plant material, and on well-documented bee behavior. A number of new proved propolis source plants are listed. Hypothetical sources, suggested as a result of comparison of propolis chemical composition and literature data about particular plants are also discussed.
CraneE. (1988) Beekeeping: Science, Practice and World Resources. Heinemann, London, UK.
2.
SalatinoA, Weinstein TeixeiraE, NegriG, MessageD. (2005) Origin and chemical variation of Brazilian propolis. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2, 33–38.
3.
PopravkoSA. (1978) Chemical composition of propolis, its origin and standardization, In: A Remarkable Hive Product: PROPOLIS, Apimondia Publ. House, Bucharest, 15–18.
4.
LavieP. (1976) The relationship between propolis, poplar buds (Populus spp.) and castor. Proceedings of the XXV International Congress of Apimondia. (Grenoble 1975), Apimondia Publ. House, Bucharest, 227–231 (in Russian).
5.
BankovaV, KulevaL. (1989) Phenolic compounds of propolis from different regions of Bulgaria. Animal Sciences, 26, 94–98 (in Bulgarian).
6.
GreenawayW, ScaysbrookT, WhatleyFR. (1987) The analysis of bud exudate of Populus x euramericana, and of propolis, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Proceedings of the Royal Society London, B232, 249–272.
7.
NagyE, PapayV, LitkeiG, DinyaZ. (1986) Investigation of the chemical constituents, particularly the flavonoid components, of propolis and Populi gemma by the GC/MS method. Studies in Organic Chemistry (Amsterdam), 23, 223–232.
8.
TamasM, MarinescuI, IonescuF. (1979) Flavonoidele din muguri de plop. Studii Cerceti Biochimia, 22, 207–213.
9.
Garcia-VigueraC, FerreresF, Tomas-BarberanFA. (1993) Study of Canadian propolis by GC-MS and HPLC. Zeitschrift für Naturforschung, 48c, 731–735.
10.
WollenweberE, BuchmannSL. (1997) Feral honey bees in the Sonoran Desert: propolis sources other than poplar (Populus spp.). Zeitschrift für Naturforschung, 52c, 530–535.
11.
BankovaV, DyulgerovA, PopovS, EvstatievaL, KulevaL, PurebO, ZamjansanZ. (1992) Propolis produced in Bulgaria and Mongolia: phenolic composition and plant origin. Apidologie, 23, 79–85.
12.
ChiJ, XueB, ChenH. (1996) The chemical constituents of flavonoids from Liaoxi propolis. Zhangguo Yaoxue Zazhi, 31, 264–266 (in Chinese)
13.
PopravkoSA, SokolovMV. (1980) Plant sources of propolis. Pchelovodstvo, 28–29 (in Russian).
14.
BankovaV, Boudourova-KrastevaG, SforcinJM, FreteX, KujumgievA, Maimoni-RodellaR, PopovS. (1999) Phytochemical evidence for the plant origin of Brazilian propolis from Sao Paulo state. Zeitschrift für Naturforschung, 54c, 401–405.
15.
MontenegroG, MojicaAM, PeñaRC, GomezM, SereyI, TimmermannBN. (2004) Similitude patterns and botanical origin of the Chilean propolis. ΦYTON, 53, 145–154.
16.
BankovaV, MarcucciMC. (2000) Standardization of propolis: Present status and perspectives. Bee World, 81, 182–188.
17.
KoenigB. (1985) Plant sources of propolis. Bee world, 66, 136–139.
18.
BankovaV, de CastroSL, MarcucciMC. (2000) Propolis: recent advances in chemistry and plant origin. Apidologie, 31, 3–15.
19.
ParkYK, AlencarSM, AguiarCL. (2002) Botanical origin and chemical composition of Brazilian propolis. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 50, 2502–2506.
20.
Boudourova-KrastevaG, BankovaV, SforcinJM, NikolovaN, PopovS. (1997) Phenolics from Brazilian propolis. Zeitschrift für Naturforschung, 52c, 676–679.
21.
BanskotaAH, TezukaY, PrasainJK, MatsushigeK, SaikiI, KadotaS. (1998) Chemical constituents of Brazilian propolis and their cytotoxic activities. Journal of Natural Products, 61, 896–900.
22.
TazawaS, WarashinaT, NoroT, MiyaseT. (1998) Studies on the constituents of Brazilian propolis. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 46, 1477–1479.
23.
KumazawaS, YonedaM, ShibataI, KanaedaJ, HamasakaT, NakayamaT. (2003) Direct evidence for the plant origin of Brazilian propolis by the observation of honeybee behavior and phytochemical analysis. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 51, 740–742.
24.
WeinsteinTeixeira ÉW, NegriG, MeiraRMSA, MessageD, SalatinoA. (2005) Plant origin of green propolis: Bee behavior, plant anatomy and chemistry. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2, 85–92.
25.
AlencarSM, ParkYK, AguiarCL, MariuzzoDM. (2001) Evidências fitoquímicas da própolis da região de mata atlântica do estado da Bahia. Tecbahia Revista Baiana De Tecnologia, 16, 154–160.
26.
Da SilvaMDSS, CitóAMDGL, ChavesMH, LopesJAD. (2005) Triterpenóides tipo cicloartano de própolis de Teresina – PI. Quimica Nova, 28, 801–804.
27.
LokvamJ, BraddockJF. (1999) Anti-bacterial function in the sexually dimorphic pollinator rewards of Clusia grandiflora (Clusiaceae). Oecologia, 119, 534–540.
28.
Tomás-BarberánFA, García-VigueraC, Vit-OlivierP, FerreresF, Tomás-LorenteF. (1993) Phytochemical evidence for the botanical origin of tropical propolis from Venezuela. Phytochemistry, 34, 191–196.
29.
TrushevaB, PopovaM, NaydenskiH, TsvetkovaI, RodriguezJG, BankovaV. (2004) New polyisoprenylated benzophenones from Venezuelan propolis. Fitoterapia, 75, 683–689.
30.
Cuesta-RubioOC, CuellarAC, RojasN, CastroHV, RastrelliL, AquinoR. (1999) A polyisoprenylated benzophenone from Cuban propolis. Journal of Natural Products, 62, 1013–1015.
31.
Márquez HernándezI, CampoFernandez M, Cuesta-RubioO, PiccinelliAL, RastrelliL. (2005) Polyprenylated benzophenone derivatives from Cuban propolis. Journal of Natural Products, 68, 931–934.
32.
PiccinelliAL, FernandezMC, Cuesta-RubioO, HernándezIM, De SimoneF, RastrelliL. (2005) Isoflavonoids isolated from Cuban propolis. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53, 9010–9016.
33.
TrushevaB, PopovaM, BankovaV, SimovaS, MarcucciMC, MiorinPL, da RochaPasin F, TsvetkovaI. (2006). Bioactive constituents of Brazilian red propolis. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 3, 249–254.
34.
MackovaZ, KoblovskaR, LapcikO. (2006) Distribution of isoflavonoids in non-leguminous taxa – An update. Phytochemistry, 67, 849–855.
35.
PopovaM, BankovaV, ChimovA, VidesMS. (2002) A scientific note on the high toxicity of propolis that comes from Myroxilon balsamum trees. Apidologie, 33, 87–88.
36.
AhnM-R, KumazawaS, HamasakaT, BangK-S, NakayamaT. (2004) Antioxidant activity and constituents of propolis collected in various areas of Korea. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 52, 7286–7292.
37.
HamasakaT, KumazawaS, FujimotoT, NakayamaT. (2004) Antioxidant activity and constituents of propolis collected in various areas of Japan. Food Science Technology Research, 10, 86–92.
38.
AwaleS, ShresthaSP, TezukaY, UedaJ-Y, MatsushigeK, KadotaS. (2005) Neoflavonoids and related constituents from Nepalese propolis and their nitric oxide production inhibitory activity. Journal of Natural Products, 68, 858–864.
39.
KumazawaS, GotoH, HamasakaT, FukumotoS, FujimotoT, NakayamaT. (2004) A new prenylated flavonoid from propolis collected in Okinawa, Japan. Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry, 68, 260–262.
40.
ChenC-N, WuC-L, ShyH-S, LinJ-K. (2003) Cytotoxic prenylflavanones from Taiwanese propolis. Journal of Natural Products, 66, 503–506.
41.
ChenC-N, WuC-L, LinJ-K. (2004) Propolin C from propolis induces apoptosis through activating caspases, Bid and cytochrome C release in human melanoma cells. Biochemical Pharmacology, 67, 53–66
42.
YakushijinK, ShibayamaK, MurataH, FurukawaH. (1980) New prenylflavanones from Hernandia nymphaefolia (Presl) Kubitzki. Heterocycles, 14, 397–402.
43.
TrushevaB, PopovaM, BankovaV, TsvetkovaI, NaydenskyC, SabatiniAG. (2003) A new type of European propolis, containing bioactive labdanes. Rivista Italiana Essence, Profumi, Piante Officinali, Aromi, Saponi, 36, 3–7.
44.
VelikovaM, BankovaV, SorkunK, HoucineS, TsvetkovaI, KujumgievA. (2000) Propolis from the Mediterranean region: chemical composition and antimicrobial activity. Zeitschrift für Naturforschung, 55c, 790–793.
45.
VelikovaM, BankovaV, SorkunK, PopovS, KujumgievA. (2001) Chemical composition and biological activity of propolis from Turkish and Bulgarian origin. Mellifera, 1, 57–59.
46.
BankovaV. (2005) Recent trends and important developments in propolis research. Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2, 29–32.
47.
GreenawayW, GümüsdereI, WhatleyFR. (1991) Analysis of phenolics of bud exudate of Populus euphratica by GC-MS. Phytochemistry, 30, 1883–1885.
48.
MelliouE, ChinouI. (2004) Chemical analysis and antimicrobial activity of Greek propolis. Planta Medica, 70, 515–519.
49.
ChristovR, TrushevaB, PopovaM, BankovaV, BertrandM. (2005) Chemical composition of propolis from Canada, its antiradical activity and plant origin. Natural Product Research, 19, 673–678.
