This review aims to analyze propolis as a potential raw material for the development and manufacture of new health-promoting products. Many scientific publications were retrieved from the Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases via searching the word "propolis". The different extraction procedures, key biologically active compounds, biological properties, and therapeutic potential of propolis were analyzed. It was concluded that propolis possesses a variety of biological properties because of a very complex chemical composition that mainly depends on the plant species visited by bees and species of bees. Numerous studies found versatile pharmacological activities of propolis: antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, etc. In this review, the composition and biological activities of propolis are presented from a point of view of the origin and standardization of propolis for the purpose of the development of new pharmaceutical products on its base. It was revealed that some types of propolis, especially European propolis, contain flavonoids and phenolic acids, which could be markers for the standardization and quality evaluation of propolis and its preparations. One more focus of this paper was the overview of microorganisms’ sensitivity to propolis for further development of antimicrobial and antioxidant products for the treatment of various infectious diseases with an emphasis on the illnesses of the oral cavity. It was established that the antimicrobial activity of different types of propolis is quite significant, especially to Gram-negative bacteria and lipophilic viruses. The present study could be also of interest to the pharmaceutical industry as a review for the appropriate design of standardized propolis preparations such as mouthwashes, toothpastes, oral drops, sprays, creams, ointments, suppositories, tablets, and capsules, etc. Moreover, propolis could be regarded as a source for the isolation of biologically active substances. Furthermore, this review can facilitate partially overcoming the problem of the standardization of propolis preparations, which is a principal obstacle to the broader use of propolis in the pharmaceutical industry. Finally, this study could be of interest in the area of the food industry for the development of nutritionally well-balanced products. The results of this review indicate that propolis deserves to be better studied for its promising therapeutic effects from the point of view of the connection of its chemical composition with the locality of its collection, vegetation, appropriate extraction methods, and standardization.

Polyphenols are valuable group of phytoconstituents due to their high antioxidant activity and healing properties. Antioxidant properties of sages are attributed mainly to a high level of phenolic compounds. The aim of the present study was to elaborate an analytical procedure for the evaluation of the content of secondary metabolites of the polyphenol nature in the herb of Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea L.). Four crude extracts of Salvia sclarea herb obtained with different technologies were used to develop an analytical procedure for the total phenolic content (TPC) assay by spectrophotometric method. The optimum conditions for the analysis (time of the reaction, wavelength, and reference substances) were chosen and experimentally justified (60–80 min, 760 nm, gallic acid and rutin, respectively). Under these conditions, the developed analytical procedure is robust in the indicated time and easy for performing in phytochemical or technological laboratories. The yield of TPC from the herb of Salvia sclarea was the highest in the extracts prepared by heating at a temperature of 36–46 °C and with using the ultrasonic bath. TPC was the highest in the extract in which solvent-to-herb ratio was the least (10:1) and particle size was in the range of 2–5 mm. As a result of the studies, the analytical procedure of the determination of TPC was developed and its parameters were justified. This methodology complies with the requirements for pharmaceutical analysis to ensure the reliability of results during pharmaceutical development and routine control of Salvia sclarea extracts.

Winter Savory (Satureja montana L.) has been used in traditional medicine and as a spice or natural food preservative in the Mediterranean region for centuries. In this paper, some technological and analytical aspects of the S. montana tinctures development and an evaluation of the essential oil composition are provided. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents and phenolic compounds profile analyzed spectrophotometrically and by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), respectively, were evaluated in the developed tinctures. The results showed that the tinctures prepared from the S. montana herb by maceration or remaceration are rich in polyphenols, and there is an influence of the technological factors (particle size and extraction mode) on the total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Caffeic, rosmarinic, and chlorogenic acids, (–)-catechin and rutin were identified in the tinctures using the HPTLC method. p-Thymol (81.79%) revealed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was the predominant compound of the essential oil of this plant. Thus, the high contents of polyphenols and flavonoids in the developed tinctures and p-thymol among the volatile components of the S. montana essential oil could indicate the promising antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of these herbal preparations. The obtained results are a ground for the organization of the manufacture of the S. montana tincture and essential oil with the purpose of performing preclinical studies.

The aim of the research was to substantiate the technological parameters of cream production with the sapropel extract and work out the technological scheme for its production. In this study, extract of sapropel from the Prybych deposit, emulsion base, containing corn oil, emulsifier No.1, cetylstearyl alcohol, nisin, euxyl K 100 and purified water were employed. To carry out the research, a set of methods to analyse colloidal and thermal stability was used. Rheological properties of the samples were determined. The method of microscopic analysis was carried out to analyse the stability of the emulsion system. It was proved experimentally that, when producing the cream, it is appropriate to use the phase inversion method, and the emulsification needs to be carried out at 5000 r/m for 20 min. Size and shape of the sample drops, obtained at 5000 r/m, were monodisperse and more uniform, most of which range from 2 to 3 microns that indicates the system stability. The following parameters of technological process were determined: mixing temperature conditions, speed of homogenisation and mixing time.