Propolis in Livestock Nutrition

Our article provides the first demonstration about two theories concerning how it is produced. In his theory, Kustenmacher showed that in the summer, when plants profusely secrete oily balsamic substances on the surface of pollen, bees regurgitate them onto the comb and the walls of the hive, thereby producing propolis. Rosch showed that in late summer and autumn, bees collect resinous plant-derived substances and process them into propolis. As a substance of plant origin, propolis has a variable composition, depending on the plant species from which intermediates for its preparation are derived and the wealth of soil on which these plants grow. Propolis shows beneficial health effects, especially antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities, which make it a very important component of medication or supplement for human and animal healthcare. For this reason, propolis is one of the most widely used natural added to fodder. Since 1995, propolis has been recognized as a dietary supplement in Argentina.