User:Andreas Kontopidis/sandbox
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Propolis or bee glue is a resinous mixture that honey bees produce by mixing saliva and beeswax with exudate gathered from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources. It is used as a sealant for unwanted open spaces in the hive. Propolis is used for small gaps (approximately 6 millimeters (0.24 in) or less), while larger spaces are usually filled with beeswax. Its color varies depending on its botanical source, the most common being dark brown. Propolis is sticky at, and above, room temperature (20 °C (68 °F)). At lower temperatures, it becomes hard and very brittle.
The term Propolis comes from the greek saying “before the city”. Humans have used propolis for centuries for its pharmacological properties. Recently, an interest in propolis, particularly for its antimicrobial characteristics, has risen in the biomedical community. [1]As a result, a surge of scientific publications revealing the diverse properties and potential beneficial applications of propolis has emerged. Along with antimicrobial properties, propolis has been known to show immune-stimulating and anti-tumoral effects.
Worker bees make up the majority of the matured bee population. They act as foragers and carry out various functions and tasks for the hive. The primary resources desired to bring back to the hive are pollen and nectar. However, they also are responsible for bringing back water and tree resin necessary for the production of propolis. [2]Propolis is not something naturally found in the environment, it is created by bees using tree resin as their primary ingredient. Different conditions globally (as well as resources) change the chemical composition and nature of propolis from region to region. Once bees add saliva and beeswax, which act as catalysts, to collected resin to promote biochemical changes and form propolis. From the tree, to the resin, to the saliva of the bee; the catalytic process is hand picked and modified to benefit specific tasks desired by bees upon creation for the hive and queen. The bees transform the resin to optimize the benefits of propolis.