Propolis and polyphenols derived from this product as potential antifungal agents

The incidence of fungal infections caused by Candida spp. has increased dramatically during the past few decades, mainly due to the rise in the number of immunocompromised patients. Nowadays it is estimated that nearly a billion people have skin, nail and hair fungal infections, many 10s of millions mucosal candidiasis and more than 150 million people have serious fungal diseases, which have a major impact on their lives or are fatal. Development of effective and safe therapeutic treatment of fungal infections remains one of the major challenges for modern medicine. Resistance, toxicity and problems with the administration are the most important limitations of therapies carried out with conventional chemotherapeutics (azoles, polyenes or echinocandins). Thus, there is an urgent need to look for other active and safe agents which could be used in the treatment of candidiasis. The results of our preliminary investigations revealed the high antifungal potential of ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEPs) harvested in Polish apiaries. We also observed the importantly higher antimicrobial potential of propolis samples rich in flavonoids and synergistic effect of Polish propolis in combination with fluconazole and voriconazole. The aim of the research planned under the above project is: identication of the active ingredients of propolis, determination of their antifungal activity in vitro and in vivo (in mouse model systems), investigation of synergistic interactions with antifungal drugs and determination of the molecular mechanisms of antifungal activity of propolis components. Research will be conducted in cooperation with foreign partners: prof. Patrick Van Dijck from the Catholic University of Leuven and prof. David Williams of Cardiff University

Details

Financial Program Name:

OPUS

Organization:

Narodowe Centrum Nauki (NCN) (National Science Centre)

Agreement:

UMO-2020/39/B/NZ7/02901 z dnia 2021-07-20

Realisation period:

2021-07-20 - 2026-04-19

Project manager:

dr hab. inż. Piotr Szweda

Team members:

PhD student Piotr Bollin
PhD student Jeslin Cheruvathoor Jenny
Wykonawca mgr inż. Justyna Walkusz
wykonawca dr inż. Andrzej Stanisław Skwarecki
PhD student mgr Mateusz Olszewski
PhD student dr inż. Karolina Matejczuk

Realised in:

Department Of Pharmaceutical Technology And Biochemistry

External institutions participating in project:

Uniwersytet Medyczny we Wrocławiu (Poland)

Project's value:

1 998 800.00 PLN

Request type:

National Research Programmes

Domestic:

Domestic project

Verified by:

Gdańsk University of Technology

Papers associated with that project

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total: 2

Year 2025

Identification of potential markers of elevated anticandidal activity of propolis extracts
Publication
- P. Bollin
- P. Kuś
- P. Okińczyc,
- P. Van Dijck
- P. Szweda
- JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY - Year 2025
For centuries, propolis has been one of the most important and popular antimicrobial (antibacterial and antifungal) agents used in traditional medicine worldwide. Despite centuries of use of this product, the molecular mechanisms of its activity remain not fully recognized, and the components that determine its biological activity have not been identified. Hence, the main goal of the present study was to identify propolis ingredients...

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Year 2024

Investigation of antifungal and antibacterial potential of green extracts of propolis
Publication
- J. Cheruvathoor Jenny
- P. Kuś
- P. Szweda
- Scientific Reports - Year 2024
Propolis extracts have been used in traditional medicines since ages due to its advantageous complex chemical composition. However, the antibacterial and antifungal activity of poplar propolis extracts prepared in Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NADES) are seldom studied. This study investigates suitable alternate for ethanol as a solvent for extraction for Polish poplar propolis. It also attempts to identify suitable extraction...

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