Evaluation of Antiviral Activities of different Standardized Propolis Extracts

Viral infections are common problems in clinical practice. Propolis is a natural product with biological properties and therapeutic applications. In this study it was aimed to investigate the antiviral activity of different extracts of Standardized Propolis Preparations (M.E.D.®) with glycol, ethanol, glycerol and soya oil, against herpes simplex type-1 and type 2 viruses. After the determination of chemical composition and antiviral activity of each extract the selective index was determined to indicate the in vitro antiviral activity of the extracts compared with acyclovir as the control. The selective index values of glycol, ethanol, glycerol, soya oil extracts and acyclovir were determined as 6.8, 4.1, 2.2, 3.3 and 6.3 against herpes simplex type-1, and as 6.4, 7.7, 1.9, 4.2 and 2.9 against herpes simplex type-2, respectively. Glycolic propolis extract was found to possess a greater antiviral activity than acyclovir for both herpes simplex type-1 and type-2, while glycolic, ethanolic and soya oil preparations were found to have more significant activity than acyclovir for herpes simplex type-2. In conclusion it was determined that standardized propolis preparations have antiviral bioactivity against herpes simplex virus.