Propolis is one of the bee products, with multiple biological properties used in numerous applications. The research objective was to determine the chemical composition and biological properties (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, and cytoprotective activity) of propolis extracts collected from various regions of Poland. The results indicated that the total content of phenols (116.16-219.41 mg GAE/g EEP) and flavonoids (29.63-106.07 mg QE/g EEP) in propolis extracts depended on their geographic origin. The high content of epicatechin, catechin, pinobanksin, myricetin, and acids: vanillic and syringic in propolis samples was confirmed by chromatographic analysis. Moreover, the presence of caffeic acid phenethyl ester was confirmed in all samples. The origin of propolis also influenced the biological properties of its extracts. The propolis extracts were characterized by moderate DPPH free radical scavenging activity (29.22-35.14%), and relatively low ferrous iron chelating activity (9.33-32.32%). The results indicated also that the propolis extracts showed high activity in the protection of human red blood cells against free radicals generated from 2,2'-azobis(2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (AAPH). The extracts exhibited diversified activity against the tested pathogenic bacteria and limited activity against fungal strains. The research of selected propolis extracts showed that only 2 of 5 examined samples showed moderate activity against HPV (human papillomaviruses) and the activity depended on its geographical distribution.
Keywords: antimicrobial activity; antioxidant properties; antiviral activity; cytoprotective activity; phenolic compounds; propolis.