Propolis ve arı sütü eski çağlardan beri geleneksel ve modern tıpta çeşitli biyolojik aktivitelerinden dolayı kullanılmıştır. Günümüzde yapılan son çalışmalar bu ürünlerin cilt tedavisi ve bakımı alanındaki potansiyel uygulamalarını ortaya koymuştur. Bu çalışmanın amacı, cilt kremi üretiminde propolis ve arı sütünün potansiyel kullanımını incelemek ve arı ürünleriyle zenginleştirilmiş cilt kremi formülasyonunun anti-hiyalüronidaz, antioksidan ve antimikrobiyal aktivitesini değerlendirmektir. Ayrıca kremlerin farklı depolama sıcaklığı ve süresindeki fiziksel stabilitesi de incelenmiştir. Krem formülasyonunda arı sütü oranı (%0,5) sabit tutulurken propolis özütü %0,5-1,0-1,5 oranlarında kullanılmıştır. Çalışmada üretilen kremlerin pH değerleri 5,56 ile 6,02 aralığında değişmekte olup cilt pH değerine uygun bulunmuştur. Krem formülasyonunda propolis oranı arttıkça antioksidan aktivite değerlerinin istatistiksel olarak arttığı görülmüştür (p≤0,05). Krem örneklerinin anti-hiyalüronidaz aktivite analizi sonucu IC50 değerleri 0,1667-3,3460 g/mL krem olarak belirlenmiş ve en yüksek aktivite %1,5 propolis özütü ilaveli örnekte bulunmuştur. Propolis ve arı sütü ilaveli krem örneklerinin tamamı Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis ve Candida albicans mikroorganizmalarına karşı inhibisyon göstermiştir. Hızlandırılmış stabilite testleri krem formülasyonun tüm stres koşullarına karşı dikkate değer bir stabiliteye sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Bu çalışma kozmetik sektöründe doğal, sürdürülebilir ve güvenli cilt bakım ürünleri üretebilmek için krem formülasyonuna arı ürünlerini entegre etmenin uygulanabilirliğine dair kanıt sağlamaktadır.

Propolis is a chemically complex bee product whose biological properties depend on its botanical and geographical origin. However, little is known about how gastrointestinal digestion affects its phenolic profile and bioactivity. In this study, twelve propolis samples from eight countries were evaluated for phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant capacity (FRAP, ABTS+•), and urease inhibition before and after simulated gastric digestion. RP-HPLC–PDA identified 26 phenolic compounds showing substantial compositional diversity. Turkish Bolu propolis retained the highest post-gastric FRAP value, while several samples (BBP, AFP) maintained or enhanced urease inhibition. PCA and HCA highlighted origin-dependent differentiation, identifying digestive stability as a key variable for functional potential.

The valorization of aromatic plant residues generated during essential oil production represents a promising strategy for recovering bioactive compounds and reducing agro-industrial waste. In this study, solid residues obtained after the distillation of Crithmum maritimum L. (C. maritimum) were subjected to methanolic maceration and hexane Soxhlet extraction to obtain CM and CE extracts, respectively. The extracts were comparatively evaluated for phytochemical composition, antioxidant capacity, carbohydrate-hydrolysing enzyme inhibition, phenolic profile, antimicrobial activity, and functional group characterization. CM exhibited higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents, reaching 72.4 mg GAE/g and 7.9 mg QE/g extract, respectively, and showed greater ABTS radical-scavenging and ferric-reducing activities than CE. Conversely, CE displayed higher CUPRAC and metal-chelating activities. Both extracts showed notable α-glucosidase inhibition, with IC₅₀ values of 78.0 µg/mL for CM and 91.0 µg/mL for CE, which were lower than that of acarbose (133.1 µg/mL). CE exhibited substantially stronger α-amylase inhibition than CM, with IC₅₀ values of 0.2 and 12.0 mg/mL, respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection (HPLC-PDA) analysis identified nine phenolic acids, with protocatechuic acid and chlorogenic acid as the predominant constituents. CM contained the highest concentration of protocatechuic acid (1578.91 µg/g), whereas chlorogenic acid was most abundant in CE (1168.74 µg/g). Pronounced antifungal activity was observed against Candida albicans, with inhibition zones of 29.07 mm for CM and 26.15 mm for CE, whereas neither extract exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, or Escherichia coli. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis confirmed the presence of hydroxyl, carbonyl, aromatic, and carbohydrate-related functional groups. The findings demonstrate that the extraction method strongly influenced the chemical and biological profiles of C. maritimum distillation residues. These by-products may therefore represent promising sources of phenolic-rich extracts for further investigation in food, nutraceutical, and phytopharmaceutical applications.

This study investigated the characteristic properties of chestnut honey produced in the Marmara Region, specifically in the Gulf of Kocaeli (İzmit). Microscopic analysis of seven chestnut honey samples from the Gölcük district revealed that the chestnut pollen percentage varied between 86.48% to 93.84%. The microscopic chestnut pollen ratio, color characteristics (Hunter lab) and browning index (BI), electrical conductivity (EC), antioxidant activity, and phenolic composition of the honey samples were investigated. In the seven honey samples analysed, chestnut pollen was identified as the predominant pollen type, accounting for more than 85% of the total pollen content, while the remaining pollen types were present as minor components, mainly belonging to the Fabaceae, Rosaceae, and Cistaceae families. Honey samples with high electrical conductivity values (EC: 1.15 ± 0.16 mS/cm) exhibited color characteristics with Hunter L values ranging from 25 to 48, indicating variations from darker to lighter color tones. The mean total phenolic content (TPC) of the honey samples was determined as 42.03 ± 9.43 mg GAE/100 g, with values ranging between 28.91 and 55.96 mg GAE/100 g. The total antioxidant capacity measured by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay was determined to be 4.31 ± 2.59 µmol FeSO₄/g, and darker-colored honey samples were found to exhibit higher FRAP values. Chrysin and t-cinnamic acid were identified as common and major components in the honey samples, while caffeic acid, pinocembrin, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid were detected in lower amounts.