Brazilian brown propolis from Mimosa tenuiflora prevents airway smooth muscle hyper-responsiveness in an ovalbumin-induced asthma model
Abstract
Propolis, a resinous product collected by Apis mellifera, is widely used in traditional medicine for respiratory disorders, mainly due to its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. In this context, the present study investigated the phytochemical profile of Brazilian brown propolis with Mimosa tenuiflora as the proposed botanical source and evaluated its biological effects in an experimental model of allergic asthma. The chemical composition of propolis was characterized by UPLC-qTOF-MS/MS and GC-MS, while its activity was assessed in ovalbumin-induced asthmatic Wistar rats. Animals received oral propolis (125-500 mg.kg⁻¹), and airway reactivity was evaluated ex vivo in control, asthmatic, propolis-treated, and dexamethasone-treated groups. Chemical analysis revealed a triterpene-rich profile, with lupeol as the predominant tentatively identified constituent. Functionally, propolis treatment attenuated airway smooth muscle hyper-responsiveness in a dose-dependent manner, reducing carbachol-induced contractions and enhancing bronchodilator-induced relaxation. Overall, Brazilian brown propolis exhibited a characteristic triterpene-rich chemical profile and showed biological activity in airway dysfunction. These findings suggest that the identified chemical profile may be associated with the observed effects; however, further studies are required to determine the contribution of individual constituents to the pharmacological responses.
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BibTeX
@article{felicio2026brazilian,
title = {{Brazilian brown propolis from Mimosa tenuiflora prevents airway smooth muscle hyper-responsiveness in an ovalbumin-induced asthma model}},
author = {Isabela Motta Felício and Alissa Maria de Oliveira Martins and Alexya Mikelle Teixeira Cavalcanti and Indyra Alencar Duarte Figueiredo and Lucas Nóbrega de Oliveira and Igor Gabriel da Silva Ramalho and Margareth de Fátima Formiga Melo Diniz and Daniele Idalino Janebro and Tania Maria Sarmento da Silva and Laurent Picot and Fabiana de Andrade Cavalcante},
journal = {Phytochemistry Letters},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1016/j.phytol.2026.104265},
url = {https://univ-rochelle.hal.science/hal-05763792v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Brazilian brown propolis from Mimosa tenuiflora prevents airway smooth muscle hyper-responsiveness in an ovalbumin-induced asthma model
AU - Isabela Motta Felício
AU - Alissa Maria de Oliveira Martins
AU - Alexya Mikelle Teixeira Cavalcanti
AU - Indyra Alencar Duarte Figueiredo
AU - Lucas Nóbrega de Oliveira
AU - Igor Gabriel da Silva Ramalho
AU - Margareth de Fátima Formiga Melo Diniz
AU - Daniele Idalino Janebro
AU - Tania Maria Sarmento da Silva
AU - Laurent Picot
AU - Fabiana de Andrade Cavalcante
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/25
JO - Phytochemistry Letters
DO - 10.1016/j.phytol.2026.104265
UR - https://univ-rochelle.hal.science/hal-05763792v1
AB - Propolis, a resinous product collected by Apis mellifera, is widely used in traditional medicine for respiratory disorders, mainly due to its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. In this context, the present study investigated the phytochemical profile of Brazilian brown propolis with Mimosa tenuiflora as the proposed botanical source and evaluated its biological effects in an experimental model of allergic asthma. The chemical composition of propolis was characterized by UPLC-qTOF-MS/MS and GC-MS, while its activity was assessed in ovalbumin-induced asthmatic Wistar rats. Animals received oral propolis (125-500 mg.kg⁻¹), and airway reactivity was evaluated ex vivo in control, asthmatic, propolis-treated, and dexamethasone-treated groups. Chemical analysis revealed a triterpene-rich profile, with lupeol as the predominant tentatively identified constituent. Functionally, propolis treatment attenuated airway smooth muscle hyper-responsiveness in a dose-dependent manner, reducing carbachol-induced contractions and enhancing bronchodilator-induced relaxation. Overall, Brazilian brown propolis exhibited a characteristic triterpene-rich chemical profile and showed biological activity in airway dysfunction. These findings suggest that the identified chemical profile may be associated with the observed effects; however, further studies are required to determine the contribution of individual constituents to the pharmacological responses.
SN - 1874-3900
ER -