A nutrient-rich product discovered in honeybee hives across Australia could generate a new homegrown health industry.
University of the Sunshine Coast researchers have identified for the first time 16 types of Australian high-grade propolis, or “bee glue,” brimming with enough antioxidants and other chemical properties to spark a new national industry for food and health products.
The findings have excited the UniSC team led by chemistry academics Dr. Trong Tran and Dr. Peter Brooks, who previously collaborated on national research that found exceptional antibacterial activity in Australian manuka honey.
Propolis is a sticky mixture used by honeybees in the construction of their hives. It usually contains beeswax, bee saliva and resin from the native and non-native plants that bees pollinate.
In the Australian beekeeping industry, propolis is regularly discarded as a nuisance product. In countries such as Brazil, China and New Zealand, it is harvested for use in multi-million-dollar food and cosmeceutical industries.
2023-07-21 10:00:03
Original from phys.org