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What is Bee Propolis? In preparing to write this article, it became apparent that the subject of propolis is as complex as the substance itself. To appreciate propolis, in modern day terms, one must realize what propolis meant to ancient cultures. To understand the significance of propolis to man, one must first understand its significance to bees. And to understand what propolis means to bees, one must understand what its raw material, tree resin, means to trees. Finally, to decipher what propolis means to science, and how propolis fits into the framework of biological science and the eco-system, we must first understand, fundamentally, the process and the goals of scientific research. We have tried to give an overview of all of these topics in this article. Propolis in the Beehive The word PROPOLIS is reputed to have been coined by Aristotle, from the Greek words pro (before) and polis (city), meaning, Before The City, or Defender Of The City. In his writings, Aristotle showed a remarkably accurate and detailed knowledge of bee propolis. The name, Defender Of The City˛, is a very appropriate term to describe the role of propolis in the beehive.
Bees use propolis to virtually encase the inside of the hive. It is used to caulk and seal every crack, and a very thin coat of propolis is spread over the surfaces of the honeycomb cells, inside and out. This is important for the prevention of infection in the honeycomb. Propolis is used to sterilize the honeycomb cells that contain the larvae, as well as the cells that store the honey and bee pollen. Propolis is also used extensively at the entrance of the hive to form an elaborate, winding tunnel. Bees literally have to crawl through a tight tunnel of propolis to enter and leave the hive. In this way, bees are cleansed of microbes as they enter the hive, and the sterility of the beehive is maintained. In fact, the beehive is the most sterile environment found in nature. The fact that this structure, located in the wild, and full of food and organisms, can be kept free of disease and infection is quite remarkable. In very real terms, propolis functions as the natural defense and immune system of the beehive. Bees collect tree resin for propolis, just as they collect pollen and honey for food. Although it is still a matter of debate, research indicates that the chemical structure of resin is altered by the bees secretions during the collection process. Bees work the resin with their front legs, while adding saliva and beeswax to the mixture. The saliva and other secretions are catalysts for biochemical changes within the propolis. The resin is passed to their back legs for storage in their pollen sacs. Bees then transport the resin back to the hive, where it is stored or used. Bees show definite preferences for certain species of tree resins in their collection of propolis. It appears that bees have unerringly identified the highest quality, and most appropriate raw material to use for propolis. The beesą secretions then transform the resin to optimize the benefits of propolis
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