Propolis has been used in
folk medicine since ancient times and is known for its antimicrobial,
antiparasitic,
antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antitumoral and
antioxidant properties. In view of the great therapeutic interest in
propolis and the small number of studies regarding its mechanism of action, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the mutagenic and
antimutagenic effects of
propolis using Chinese hamster ovary cells. Parameters such as the frequency of
chromosome aberrations and mitotic index were analyzed. The results showed that, on one hand, the highest
propolis tested concentration displayed a small but significant increase in the frequency of
chromosome aberrations, and on the other hand, it was observed that the lowest tested concentration significantly reduced the chromosome damage induced by the chemotherapeutic agent
doxorubicin. The present results indicate that
propolis shows the characteristic of a "Janus" compound, i.e.,
propolis is genotoxic at higher concentrations, while at lower concentrations it display a chemopreventive effect on
doxorubicin-induced mutagenicity.
Flavonoids may be the components of
propolis responsible for its both mutagenic and
antimutagenic effects, once these compounds may act either as
pro-oxidant or as
free radicals scavenger, depending on its concentration.