Investigation of the inhibitory properties of some phenolic standards and bee products against human carbonic anhydrase I and II

Polyphenols are important secondary products of plants with the potential to inhibit carbonic anhydrases. The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibition effects of various phenolic standards, honey, propolis, and pollen species on human carbonic anhydrase I and II. The inhibition values (IC50) of the phenolics (gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, quercetin, catechin, tannic acid, and chrysin) ranged from 0.009 to 0.32 μg/mL, tannic acid emerging as the best inhibitor. The inhibition values of three different types of honey, heather, rhododendron, and chestnut ranged between 2.32 and 25.10 μg/mL, the chestnut honeys exhibiting the best inhibition. The ethanolic extracts of pollen and propolis exhibited good inhibitory properties, with IC50 values between 0.486 and 3.320 μg/mL. In order to evaluate the phenolic composition of bee products, phenolic profiles and total phenolic contents (TFC) were also measured. The inhibition ranking among the natural products studied was phenolic standards > propolis > pollen > honeys, and inhibition was related to TFC.