A nutrient-rich product discovered in beehives across Australia could spark a new home health industry.
Researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast have identified for the first time 16 types of Australian high-grade propolis, or “bee glue,” which is packed with enough antioxidants and other chemical properties to spark a new national industry for food and health products.
The discoveries excited the UniSC team led by chemistry academics Dr. Trong Tran and Dr. Peter Brooks, who previously collaborated on national research that found remarkable antibacterial activity in Australian manuka honey.
Propolis is a sticky mixture that bees use to make their hives. It usually contains beeswax, beeswax and resin from native and non-native plants pollinated by bees.
In the Australian beekeeping industry, propolis is often dismissed as a nuisance product. In countries like Brazil, China and New Zealand, it is harvested for use in the multi-million-dollar food and cosmetics industry.
Dr. Tran said the two-year collaborative project found the best qualities of propolis taken from beehives across the country, including four in Southeast Queensland.
Beekeeper Murray Arkadieff, whose hives near Ipswich produced some of the most active propolis samples in the state, said the positive findings provided opportunities for a new income stream for Australian beekeepers and more jobs in the industry.
“This will help to further strengthen the high quality of Australian honey and our hive products in Australia, and internationally,” Arkadieff said.
The role of Scientific reports investigated the quality and chemical diversity of Australian propolis from Apis mellifera or European honeybees, common throughout the country.
Dr. Tran said that the research proved that the chemical composition of 16 propolis samples has stronger antioxidant activity than some well-known international varieties that have generated huge profits abroad.
“Established cosmeceutical industries add propolis to products intended to have both cosmetic and therapeutic benefits, such as mouth sprays, soaps, toothpaste, food supplements and skin care creams,” he said. “In the food and beverage industry, propolis can be a preservative.”
Said Dr. It is true that propolis has been used in many cultures for centuries as a natural antibiotic, but research papers since the 1990s have found more than just antimicrobial potential, including the possibility of adjunct treatments for cancers and COVID-19.
Researchers and co-authors from Hive and Wellness Australia said the findings were very encouraging for the beekeeping industry, which currently has 530,000 honeybee hives.
“Currently, we have very little production of propolis, especially in South Australia,” said Dr. Ben McKee, Chief Operating Officer of Hive and Wellness.
“Increased home harvesting will provide more income for beekeepers and processors while reducing the dependence on imported propolis for production.
“This research will be a solid foundation to build a new industry across the country.”
The UniSC team recently published three papers on propolis. Dr. Tran said the next step is to track the plant sources of the samples, to inform measures of plant biodiversity and hive locations.
“This study shows that Australia has the capability to produce a unique and premium type of propolis due to its unique and diverse native flora,” he said.
The paper was written by Dr. Tran and Dr. Brooks of UniSC with Chau Tran, Tahmikha Bryen and Dr. Simon Williams, and Jessica Berry of Hive and Wellness Australia, Fiona Tavian and Ben McKee.
This follows an AgriFutures Australia report in 2019 that recommended more research to help Australia grow propolis production and markets. It reports that the farm gate value of propolis production by New Zealand beekeepers averages $NZ3.75 million per year.
AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Program Research Manager Annelies McGaw said the results would strengthen the industry.
“The annual contribution of the honey bee to our economy is $14.2 billion, although in recent years this industry has been severely affected by bushfires, floods and pest attacks such as the Varroa mite,” said McGaw.
“Although there is still much work to be done to better understand the benefits of propolis, the potential commercialization could provide an excellent and timely income stream for Australian beekeepers.”
For more information go to the AgriFutures Australian Propolis Project.
More information:
Chau TN Tran et al, Quality assessment and chemical diversity of Australian propolis from Apis mellifera bees, Scientific reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17955-w
Provided by the University of the Sunshine Coast
Citation: Antioxidant ‘bee glue’ creates buzz for new Australian industry (2023, July 21) retrieved 21 July 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2023-07-antioxidant-bee-australian-industry.html
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