Chemical analysis, antioxidant, cytotoxic and antimicrobial properties of propolis from different geographic regions

Propolis is a resinous beehive product containing functional compounds and differs based on geographical region. Physicochemical properties of each propolis effectuate their uses within modern applications. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activity of propolis ethanol extracts (PEE) sourced from six geographical regions. Antioxidant potency was determined using four assays: DPPH, ABTS, reducing power, and malondialdehyde inhibition (MDA). The phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC) was calculated as gallic acid and catechol equivalents, respectively. Antimicrobial properties of propolis against pathogens and toxigenic fungi were determined using agar well diffusion assay. The cytotoxicity effect was estimated against the human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell line using MTT assay. The results manifested propolis variations of samples, specifically for the chemical composition (p