Abstract

Propolis is a natural product which honey bees collect from plants then mix it with their wax. The present study has involved the investigation of antileishmanial effect of propolis against the Leishmania tropica parasite. In this study, propolis that was used was collected from Kayseri, a city in the Middle Anatolian Region of Turkey. An ethanolic extract of propolis was obtained. The propolis concentrations varying from 0.0625 µg/ ml to 1024 µg/ ml were prepared using serial dilutions. These propolis concentrations were added on parasites. The parasites were examined daily under an inverted microscope at the 24^th, 48^th, 72^nd and 96^th h. Mobility, morphology, and density were reported. It has been observed with microscopic examination that propolis inhibited parasites beginning at 32 µg/ ml concentration. Also, it was determined that the antileishmanial effects of propolis increased with increasing concentrations and incubation periods. It has been shown that Kayseri propolis, which is a natural product, was effective against Leishmania tropica, even in low concentrations.

Key words: Propolis, Leishmania tropica, antileishmanial activity, kayseri.