Optimization of sugary and sugar-free propolis chewing gum production

Propolis is a very important bee product which shows anticancer, antibacterial, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and antifungal properties. The main aim for the propolis to show its functional properties is to keep it long in mouth without swallowing it as propolis included toothpaste and mouth spray have been developed recently. The chewing gum is one possible method of delivering the bioactive components of propolis because each piece of gum stays in the mouth much longer time than any other product made by propolis. In the present study, resin of propolis was added to chewing gums. D-optimal mixture design was used to determine the chewing gum formulations according to the preliminary trials. The propolis amount of chewing gums was optimized according to the results of sensory and texture analyses. Afterwards, color, total phenolic content determination and antibacterial analysis of chewing gums were carried out. The optimal composition of sugary chewing gums was found as 4,75% propolis while the sugar-free chewing gums' was 5,06%. The results of this investigation showed that total phenolic content of the samples increased after the chewing process. Sugary and sugar-free chewing gums showed inhibitory effect against Streptoccus mutans which is the main cause of the tooth cavity. The gum base and the resin of propolis are hydrophobic and form a perfect, homogeneous chewing gum mixture. Also it has different bioactive components which provide health benefits to the human body. Because of the properties of propolis, it is a suitable product to use in chewing gum production as a traditional medicine.