Abstract

Mesbah Lahouel*, Kheira Boutabet, Wided Kebsa and Mohamed Alyane

The most important pharmacologically active constituents in propolis are flavanoids with a broad spectrum of biological activities varying with their chemical composition. Propolis chemical composition depends on the floral and geographical origin present at the site of collection and thus in the climatic characteristics. However, until now, no mitochondrial functions in relation to stress and apoptotic process were determined. We hypothesized that propolis effects could be due to a direct action on mitochondrial functions. We evaluated whether polyphenols compounds had preventive properties against renal oxidative stress induced by doxorubicin. We present here an analytical and pharmacological study of the eastern Algerian propolis using Thin layer Chrommatography (TLC), Ultra Violet-High Phase Liquid Chromatography (UV-HPLC) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The pharmacological study was carried out in vivo on wistar rat pre-treated with propolis extract 100 mg/kg/day for 7 days. Doxorubicin at 10 mg/kg of body weight was administered intravenously on day 7th. Serum creatinine concentration, scavenging effect of flavonoids, lipid peroxydation (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) concentration were measured. Chemical analysis allowed identification and quantification of the phenolic compounds including pinostrombin chalcone(38.91%), galangin(18.95), naringenin(14.27%), tectochrysin(25.09%), methoxychrysin(1.14%) and a prenylated coumarin compound suberosin (1.65%). The total flavonoid concentration in the propolis extract determined by aluminum chloride colorimetric method was 370 mg (quercetin equivalents QE) /g dry weight of propolis extract (QE/g DWPE). Data suggest protective effects of an Algerian propolis extract against doxorubicininduced oxidative stresses. It restored the renal functions and clearly reduced the toxic effect of the drug.