MedWire News: Patients infected with the stomach ulcer-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori do not benefit from taking honey bee-derived propolis supplements to rid themselves of the bacterium, researchers have found.

Propolis is a resinous substance used by honey bees in hive construction and maintenance, explain Luiz Gonzaga Vaz Coelho and colleagues from Universidade Fedral de Minas Gerais in Brazil in the journal Helicobacter.

They add that propolis has been used for centuries in folk medicine to combat many different ailments, and recent studies have suggested that the compound may have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

To investigate whether propolis may benefit people infected with Helicobacter pylori, the researchers studied 18 patients, with an average age of 47 years, who received 20 drops of propolis three times a day for 1 week.

None of the participants had received any previous treatment to eradicate the bacterium.

Analysis revealed that 15 of the patients remained infected with Helicobacter pylori after receiving propolis treatment.

Two participants experienced a partial suppression of their Helicobacter pylori infection soon after treatment, but became positive again within 40 days. Another participant was negative for Helicobacter pylori infection at the 40-day assessment, but had become positive again within another 40 days.

The researchers therefore conclude: "Our study constitutes the first clinical study testing the use of propolis for Helicobacter pylori infection and showed that the alcoholic preparation of Brazilian green propolis administered at popularly recommended dose has no effect on subjects with Helicobacter pylori infection."

However, they add that further, larger studies are needed to see whether higher doses of propolis may have anti-Helicobacter pylori effects.