Antibacterial Activity of Apis mellifera Propolis Against Pathogenic Bacterial Strains Implicated in Human Skin Infections

Abstract

This study evaluates the antibacterial efficacy of Apis mellifera propolis against bacterial species commonly associated with human skin infections, including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter spp., Acinetobacter baumannii, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The chemical composition of propolis was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify its bioactive compounds. The inhibitory effects of aqueous and alcoholic propolis extracts were compared to standard antibiotics. The results demonstrated significant antibacterial activity of both extracts, with the alcoholic extract exhibiting the highest inhibitory effects. The aqueous extract, however, showed limited efficacy against Gram-negative bacteria. Among the tested bacterial species, Staphylococcus aureus exhibited the largest inhibition zone (31.87 mm) when exposed to the alcoholic extract. The overall highest inhibition average for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was observed with the alcoholic extract (17.44 mm), particularly against S. aureus (23.17 mm). These findings highlight the potential of Apis mellifera propolis, particularly its alcoholic extract, as a natural antimicrobial agent for managing skin infections caused by pathogenic bacteria.