Water-soluble propolis and bee pollen of Trigona spp. from South Sulawesi Indonesia induce apoptosis in the human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line

Bee products are best known as one of the beneficial natural products providing multiple pharmacological effects, such as antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. The present study aimed to identify potent products derived from the stingless bee Trigona spp. from Luwu Utara (South Sulawesi, Indonesia), focussing on the water-soluble extract of propolis and bee pollen, against the proliferation of the human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line. The results from DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method of antioxidant assay revealed that water-soluble propolis and bee pollen had high antioxidant activity, with half-maximal effective concentrations against DPPH radicals of 1.3 and 0.4 mg/ml, respectively. Additionally, water-soluble propolis and bee pollen exhibited a significant antiproliferative activity in MCF-7 cells, with IC50 values of 10.8±0.06 and 18.6±0.03 mg/ml, respectively (P<0.05). Significant cytotoxic effects were observed after 24 h of treatment via microscopic and flow cytometric analysis, where a morphological change toward late apoptosis was observed. By contrast, honey had low antioxidant activity and no antiproliferative effect in MCF-7 cells. The water-soluble propolis also exerted its antiproliferative effect in the human keratinocyte HaCaT cell line. The antiproliferative activity was similar (P>0.05) at 24 and 48 h of treatment, with IC50 at 2.7±0.06 mg/ml and <0.4 mg/ml, respectively. Notably, bee pollen was less toxic to HaCaT cells after 24 h of treatment than the water-soluble propolis, with IC50>50 mg/ml. Its antiproliferative activity was significantly increased after 48 h of treatment, with IC50 at 9.6±0.07 mg/ml (P<0.05). In addition, similar to other poplar propolis, the high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet and electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry analyses revealed that caffeic acid phenethyl ester was not the main bioactive compound of the samples examined. Furthermore, two major proteins (between ~50 and 75 kDa) were identified in the water-soluble propolis and bee pollen. The present results suggested that water-soluble propolis and bee pollen may have the potential to be elaborated further as a breast anticancer therapy.