Propolis as a Bioindicator of Contamination with Toxic Metals

Bioindicators are living organisms used to predict the level of environmental pollution in a certain area. These organisms and their products are sensitive to surrounding changes in the concentrations of toxic components that, whether due to geographical or anthropogenic origin, can increase their presence. High agricultural, mining, and industrial activity can be sources of chemical contaminants, among these, toxic metals are the most common. Contamination with heavy metals is a public health concern because they can trigger different pathologies associated with their exposure. This is why constant monitoring is important to maintain nce doses below the limits recommended by international regulations. In recent years, bee products have been suggested as bioindicators of contamination of toxic compounds, among them, the most susceptible is propolis. This research aims to analyze the main studies that propose propolis as a bioindicator of contamination with toxic metals.