Propolis, a gift from bees to you.

Admirably, beehives are free of germs. This is because of the work of the bees that collect plant resins and add their own salivary secretion, producing a substance with over than 300 components: the propolis, which antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties act as defense against pathogenic agents.

And much can be said about propolis

Accurately, the Greek philosopher Aristotle has called this substance as “city defender” (pro=in favor of and polis=city).

In fact, bees use propolis production to protect their hive against the invasion of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and virus) and other insects, to repair openings and embalm invaders or even dead bees inside their setting. Propolis is a resinous and balsamic substance formed by a complex set of chemical substances collected by bees from the region’s vegetation. This is why they are called “pharmaceutics with wings”. Different ways of preparation have been used throughout centuries in popular medicine due to its therapeutics properties.

What are the propolis types?

The composition of a propolis is determined specially by phytogeographic characteristics, such as type of vegetation, season of the year and existing environmental conditions near beehives. Thus it is possible to obtain different types of propolis.

In Brazil, we can highlight 3 main propolis types: green, brown and red.

The large variety of chemical compounds and concentrations found in different propolis will result in a variation of their biological and pharmaceutical activities.


That’s why Apis Flora has developed the exclusive EPP-AF® propolis extract, the only propolis-based product on the market that keeps its composition batch to batch, ensuring the efficacy and safety on all manufactured items. Learn more about EPP-AF® here. More infor about EPP-AF® here.

What is green propolis and why is everyone talking about it?

Different vegetations and different environmental conditions are factors that determine the types of propolis, among them, the green propolis, considered as the best propolis in the world.

The Brazilian green propolis is different from others due to two main reasons: Africanized bees and unique sources of Brazilian flora.

Among the interesting aspects about Brazilian bees, it’s noteworthy to highlight its impressive resistance to diseases, high productivity, larger reach of action and low aggressivity. Thus, while millions of dollars are spent all over the world to treat hives with antibiotics, Brazilian hives are free from this contaminant.

Botanic Source

The green propolis has a very complex composition, including some active special substances that can only be found in this kind of propolis.

Alecrim-do-campo or vassourinha-do-campo are popular names for a shrubby plant named Baccharis dracunculifolia, green propolis’ main botanic source.