Antimicrobial Aspects of Brazilian Red Propolis and Its Compounds

Antimicrobial resistance is the result of mutations suffered by bacteria, fungi, and viruses that render their respective antimicrobials ineffective in combating infections, what contributes to increased morbidity and mortality rates, mainly in hospitalized patients. The lack of therapeutic options makes this scenario alarming and the search for new antimicrobials extremely urgent. In this sense, natural products have been contributing significantly to the discovery of new medicines, particularly against infectious diseases. Among natural products, Brazilian Propolis stands out, especially from mangrove regions in northeastern Brazil, frequently referred to as Brazilian Red Propolis, this product is meticulously harvested by Apismellifera bees from the red resinous exudate found on the trunks of Dalbergia Ecastophyllum trees. Chemical classes present in Brazilian Red Propolis such as flavonoids, esters, quinones, alcohols, ketones, phenolic acids, and aldehydes are identified as those responsible for its antimicrobial activities. Brazilian Red Propolis has already been tested against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, particularly the multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, as well as yeasts such as Candida spp. and Cryptococcus spp., revealing promising Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values. Its antiviral action, although less explored, has already been demonstrated against Chikungunya virus, Enterovirus surrogates, and human coronavirus. Based on that, one can conclude that Brazilian Red Propolis is a hopeful natural product against a panel of clinically relevant microorganisms. The study of its antimicrobial properties can contribute to the future use of Brazilian Red Propolis as a therapeutic option against various human infections. This chapter will address the antimicrobial properties of Brazilian Red Propolis and its constituents against various bacteria, fungi, and viruses of high clinical relevance, as well as chemical aspects and future perspectives of clinical trials.