Development of propolis and honey contents lollipop formulation and evaluation of its biological effectiveness

In this thesis study, functional candy formulations containing propolis were developed by utilizing the functional properties of honey and propolis, and their biological activities and physicochemical properties were evaluated. Analyses conducted on the %70 ethanol extract of propolis showed that the total phenolic content was 497.5 ± 0.83 mg GAE/g, and the total flavonoid content was 389.44 ± 1.92 mg KE/g dry extract. In antioxidant capacity analyses, the DPPH radical scavenging activity was determined to be % 84.08 ± 0.08, indicating a high antioxidant effect. The metal chelating activity was found to be %38.11 ± 0.9, and the total antioxidant capacity was calculated as 336.96 ± 3.2 mg α-tocopherol equivalent/g. In addition, the antimicrobial effects of propolis and propolis-enriched candy formulations were evaluated against various microorganisms (S. mutans, S. sanguinis, P. gingivalis, S. aureus, E. coli, L. acidophilus, C. albicans, and S. cerevisiae). The analyses demonstrated a dose-dependent inhibition effect on pathogenic microorganisms. These results show that propolis-based candies not only offer functional and antioxidant benefits but also exhibit significant antimicrobial potential. Among the formulations, the candy containing %12.5 propolis exhibited the highest biological activity, with strong antioxidant capacity, microbial inhibition, pH stability, and low acidity. Color and dry matter analyses supported that this formulation had the most natural and concentrated structure. On the other hand, the %7.5 propolis-containing candy showed a more balanced thermal melting profile and was considered the optimum formulation in terms of production. Overall, both %7.5 and %12.5 propolis-enriched functional candies were found to be the most suitable in terms of biological activity and formulation stability. These findings indicate that propolis can be effectively incorporated into a directly consumable functional candy form and offers a healthy and accessible product alternative, especially for children.