Propolis · Evidence

Propolis: what its compounds may do, and what trials in people are beginning to show

World Apitherapy Organization · November 9, 2026

Bees make propolis from plant resins and beeswax, and they use it to seal and protect the hive. Its chemistry is among the richest in the hive, and research on it now runs from the molecule to trials in people. At the World Apitherapy Organization we read every finding with three labels: evidence, with the level at which it was observed (lab, animal or human studies); inference, our own reasoning, marked so that you can judge it; and not proven, for ideas that circulate without support.

Hundreds of compounds, and the origin decides which ones lead.

Evidence · lab analyses More than 800 compounds have been reported across the different types of propolis (temperate, tropical, birch, Mediterranean and Pacific), with flavonoids (more than 140) and terpenes and terpenoids (more than 160) as major groups. The composition varies with region and season, and each type has its own marker compounds (Kasote et al., Phytochemistry Reviews, 2022).

Inference Because of that variety, a result belongs to the propolis with which it was obtained. In every study it is worth looking for three details: the bee species, the geographical origin and the type of extract.

In the lab, propolis moves inflammation toward balance.

Evidence · lab and animal studies A scoping review of 166 experimental publications from 2017 to 2022 concluded that propolis modulates inflammation toward a regulatory balance. It inhibits and downregulates signaling routes such as TLR4, MyD88, the NLRP inflammasomes and NF-κB, together with pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ and TNF-α, and it reduces the migration of macrophages and neutrophils (Zulhendri et al., Molecules, 2022).

Evidence · lab and animal studies Part of that activity is attributed to specific molecules, such as caffeic acid phenethyl ester, known as CAPE (Bava et al., Pharmaceuticals, 2024).

In people, the first signals appear in markers and in the gums.

Evidence · human studies A 2024 meta-analysis of 16 randomized trials found that propolis supplementation lowered blood levels of interleukin 6, C-reactive protein and TNF-α, three markers of inflammation (Gholami et al., Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 2024).

Evidence · human studies A 2025 umbrella review that analyzed 69 randomized trials with 3,544 participants on hive products reported that propolis improved the lipid profile, glycemic control, liver enzymes and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress (Norouzzadeh et al., Nutrition & Diabetes, 2025).

Evidence · human studies In periodontal disease, a 2021 meta-analysis found that propolis, added to periodontal care, reduced probing pocket depth more than a placebo. The review included eight studies, and three of them entered the pooled calculation (López-Valverde et al., Antioxidants, 2021).

Inference The mechanisms described in the lab and the fall in blood markers make an anti-inflammatory effect in people biologically plausible. Markers are not symptoms: larger trials that measure symptoms and everyday function are the next link.

Evidence · human studies A null result is read in its context. In a 24-week trial with 80 women with rheumatoid arthritis, tablets of one Brazilian propolis did not change disease activity compared with a placebo (Matsumoto et al., PLOS ONE, 2021). That answers a question about that preparation, that population and that duration; it does not settle the question for other types of propolis or other conditions.

How to keep reading on your own.

In PubMed, type propolis and add your topic with AND, for example propolis AND periodontitis. In each abstract, check the bee species, where the propolis came from and how it was extracted, and whether the finding comes from cells, animals or people.

This article is for education. It does not replace the advice of a health professional, and it does not describe how to apply any hive product.