Abstract

Propolis, a resinous substance collected by honeybees, has long been recognized for its medicinal and health-promoting functional properties. Recently it has been considered as a natural alternative feed additive to antibiotics in ruminant diets to modulate ruminal microbiota and their fermentation patterns favorably. Propolis exists in various colors and types with no standard chemical composition because its composition is highly variable depending upon the bee collection, vegetation sites, season, and types of bees. Over 300 compounds with different structures and isomers have been identified in propolis in the literature, among of which phenolic acids, flavonoids and terpene components are the most common bioactive chemical constitutes found in all propolis types. These chemical constitutes are characterized by powerful antimicrobial, immuno-stimulatory and antioxidant activities, and thus they are believed to contribute significantly to the nutritional effects of propolis for ruminants. This review discusses the remarkable nutritional effects of different types of propolis to assess the most common effects of propolis as feed additive for ruminants including feed intake, rumen fermentation, methanogenesis, nitrogen metabolism, nutrient utilization, ruminal microbial populations, and quantity and quality of the final products (meat and milk). Further, discussion has been made regarding processing of propolis such as nano-form propolis, which possess more antibacterial and antifungal efficiency than the normal form of propolis.

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