Chemical Characterization, α-Glucosidase, α-Amylase and Lipase Inhibitory Properties of the Australian Honey Bee Propolis

The use of functional foods and nutraceuticals as a complementary therapy for the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes and obesity has steadily increased over the past few decades. With the aim of exploring the therapeutic potentials of Australian propolis, this study reports the chemical and biological investigation of a propolis sample collected in the Queensland state of Australia which exhibited a potent activity in an in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory screening. The chemical investigation of the propolis resulted in the identification of six known prenylated flavonoids including propolins C, D, F, G, H, and solophenol D. These compounds potently inhibited the α-glucosidase and two other enzymes associated with diabetes and obesity, α-amylase, and lipase on in vitro and in silico assays. These findings suggest that this propolis is a potential source for the development of a functional food to prevent type 2 diabetes and obesity. The chemical analysis revealed that this propolis possessed a chemical fingerprint relatively similar to the Pacific propolis found in Okinawa (South of Japan), Taiwan, and the Solomon Islands. This is the first time the Pacific propolis has been identified in Australia.