Cerumen and Propolis of an Indian Stingless Bee (Apidae: Meliponini) Tetragonula iridipennis (Smith, 1854): Botanical Origin and Biological Activities

The cerumen (sometimes mistaken for propolis or geopropolis) of Indian stingless bees is a mixture of plant latex, resin, bee wax, and other bee secretions. Cerumen of the dammar bees, or resin bees, has not yet received commercial attention due to a lack of information on botanical sources, chemical composition, and health benefits discussed herein for Tetragonula iridipennis. Stingless bee foragers collect plant latex and resin from diverse plant species, including Artocarpous heterophyllus, Calotropis gigantea, Ficus bengalensis, F. religiosa, Mangifera indica, Tabernaemontana divaricata, and Vachellia nilotica. Resin or latex foragers are less numerous than nectar or pollen foragers. They spend more time on a foraging bout and therefore perform fewer trips in a day. Chemically, the cerumen of Indian stingless bees is predominantly of the ‘gallic acid-naringin’ type, which may also contain sugars, steroids, and terpenes; the composition varies with its latex and resin sources. Terpenes provide significant antimicrobial activities against broad-spectrum pathogens, while phenolic and flavonoid contents provide antioxidant activities. Cerumen extract also has significant anticancer activity against several cancer cell lines. These well-elucidated data about cerumen will help to commercialize stingless bee cerumen in the healthcare market.