CHARACTERIZATION OF A PROPOLIS-BASED ODONTOLOGICAL PRODUCT: ANTIBACTERIAL AND IMMUNOMODULATORY ACTIONS

Abstract

Propolis is a resinous product made by bees from several parts of plants, showing plenty of biological and pharmacological properties, and with a great importance in food and in the pharmaceutical industry. Caries and periodontal disease are infectious diseases that reflect an imbalance in the oral microbiota, whose agents can be transmitted. Chlorhexidine has been used as an anticarie agent, but its use is controversial due to side effects. There has been a search for new products with antimicrobial activity and fewer side effects,and herein we aim to investigate not only propolis but also an antimicrobial agent (chlorhexidine), and the association propolis / chlorhexidine on S. mutans and on the action of monocytes against this bacterium. The effect of these variables will be assessed on S. mutans, determining the minimum inhibitory concentration, on monocytes, evaluating the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and on the antibacterial activity of these cells. The quality of the association of propolis / chlorhexidine will be evaluated regarding its stability and a possible contamination according to the shelf time, in order to develop a potential pharmaceutical product, demonstrating the practical implication of this research project.