Abstract
The antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extract of brown propolis was determined by in-vitro antioxidant assays via 1,1-dipheny1-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH.) free radical scavenging activity and phosphomolybdenum method. The brown propolis extract had an effective DPPH. scavenging activity at 20-200 mu g/ml concentrations. Moreover, the in-vivo experiments showed that brown propolis extract has a powerful antioxidant and lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity in the liver tissues challenged with CCl4. On the other hand, we found that pretreatment of rats with propolis extract protected gastric tissues against indomethacin-induced gastropathy as demonstrated from reduction in the ulcer index attenuation of histopathological changes and amelioration of the altered oxidative stress biomarkers like glutathione, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels and superoxide dismutase activity in gastric tissues. In conclusion, total ethanolic extract of brown propolis exposed major anti-oxidant and anti-ulcer activities.