Propolis Preparations
Excerpt from Lesson 75, Level Three of the Apitherapy Internet Course (AIC)

Propolis is another bee product which can be used in hundreds of different preparations. The fact that its active substances can be extracted using alcohol, fats and even water, offers us a large field of experiments and trials.

Here is a list of the main propolis preparations which it is possible to make in our "home pharmacy":

Water extract

Butter-extract (Fat-extract)

Tincture

Mouth water

Capsules

Eye drops

Powder from raw propolis

Inhalations

Propolis in Honey

Spray

Soft Propolis Extract

Plaster

Ointment

Creme

 


Let's see how can we prepare them.

1. Water extract

  • Take 10 grams of propolis powder (see below how to make it) and mix it with 100 ml. of clean and pure water (1:10).
  • Leave it for about 10 hours, but, if possible, shake the receptacle as often as possible.
  • After 10 hours, filter the solution; what is left can be used in alcoholic or fat extracts, or it can be chewed or swallowed as is the case with raw propolis.
  • The fluid which is obtained (the water propolis extract), has a taste and aroma specific to propolis and can be used in various ways: to drink, as mouth water (combined with a few drops of essential oils + herbal extracts), to gargle in throat related diseases, or in external applications (eye drops, bath etc.

2. Butter-extract

This is a well known preparation among Russian apitherapists. It has been used by Russians successfully against tuberculosis.

Here it is how you can make this preparation:
  • Take 100 grams of propolis powder and mix it with 800 grams of butter.
  • Warm up this mixture in a water-bath at 40-45° Celsius maximum, and stir until a homogenous mixture is obtained.
  • This homogenous mixture, when still warm, is transferred to a large flat plate (as for cookies) in order to cool it down. After the final mixture is cool enough, honey can be added on top of it, and it can then be portioned in smaller "cookies" with the help of a knife. Each such cookie should weigh about 5 grams.
  • For a general treatment, if not otherwise advised 4-8 such "cookies" , can be taken each day, between meals

3) Propolis tincture

The tincture is the most common propolis preparation, easy to make by everyone and having maximum therapeutic effect. Also, starting from the tincture, soft propolis extract can be obtained and from this, hundreds or even thousands of other preparations and/or products can be made.

Let's see how a tincture can be made:
  • Take 30-40 grams of propolis powder and mix it with 70 ml. of
    90 - 96% alcohol. Leave for a minimum of 14 days, in a dark cool place (not in refrigerator), but stir also 3-6 times per day, or find a mechanical way to do this automatically. It is important to allow the alcohol molecules to come into contact with as many propolis compounds as possible, in order to extract them from the "solid" mass.

  • After two weeks (the longer the better) the solution can be filtered; the liquid portion should be stored in a dark green or dark brown bottle in a cool, dry and dark place.

  • What we have now obtained is a so called "mother-propolis tincture" of about 20-30%;
    if you wish to know the exact percentage ask your local pharmacist for help.

  • The non-soluble remainder of the propolis should not be thrown away because it still contains good active compounds, especially if your extraction have been a short one (two-three weeks), and/or you didn't stir the initial solution too much. This mass of propolis, left after the first extraction, should be mixed again with "fresh" alcohol, in a proportion of 1:10. This mixture can be left in place for another 2-3 months; after this period of time you can repeat the same procedures as above (filtration, storage etc.). The final solution, in this second extraction can also be called propolis tincture, but its quality is usually lower in comparison with that obtained initially; this second grade tincture can contain about 3-6% propolis substances; again, ask your local pharmacist for help in obtaining precise measurements.

  • Since this second grade tincture has more "heavy" substances it can be used for external administration and/or for beekeeping uses ("painting" the hives in spring as a hygienic measure, to attract "wild" swarms, to "wash" your hands before opening your hives, after accidental bee stings etc., etc.).


4) Powder from raw propolis

· take raw propolis and break it into pieces as small as possible;
· insert this raw propolis into your freezer for 1-2 days, until it becomes brittle;
· after 1-2 days, use a strong coffee grinder type tool, in order to obtain a very fine powder;
· propolis powder thus obtained can be stored in a dark brown or dark green bottle, in a dark, dry and cool place;
· this propolis powder can be used later to make almost ALL other propolis based products.

  Good luck!!!


If you would like to learn more on how to make and use various propolis preparations,
join our Apitherapy Internet Course!