## 3 Results
### Effect of the Propolis Extracts on IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-\(\alpha\) Secretion by BMDM Macrophages
In the case of \(p\)-coumaric acid, there were no significant alterations in any of the cytokines (Figure 3D-F). Artepillin C did not significantly alter IL-6 or TNF-\(\alpha\) secretion; however, it significantly decreased IL-10 at 100 \(\mathrm{\SIUnitSymbolMicro g}\)/mL (Figure 3G-I). Baccharin (10, 25, and 100 \(\mathrm{\SIUnitSymbolMicro g}\)/mL) increased IL-10 levels, and at 50 \(\mathrm{\SIUnitSymbolMicro g}\)/mL, it decreased IL-6, although with no significant effects on TNF-\(\alpha\) (Figure 3J-L). Figure 2: Effects of the three propolis extract treatments: PPF (**A–C**), PSDE (**D–F**) and MPE (**G–I**) at various concentrations (1, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 300 \(\mathrm{\SIUnitSymbolMicro g}\)/mL) on cytokine secretion (pg/mL): IL-6 (**A,D,G**), TNF-\(\alpha\) (**B,E,H**) and IL-10 (**C,F,I**) by macrophages previously stimulated with LPS (500 \(\mathrm{\SIUnitSymbolMicro g}\)/mL) (gray bar). The white bars represent cytokine secretion by macrophages that were not stimulated. The black bars represent macrophages that were stimulated with LPS but were not treated with propolis. Significant differences (\(p\leq 0.05\)) are represented by the different letters “a”, “b” and “c”. Comparative Effects of Propolis Extracts and Their Isolated Compounds on IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-\(\alpha\) Secretion by Macrophages  
The overall effects of PPF did not vary with the concentrations used. These effects were similar to the effects of caffeic acid at 100 \(\upmu\)g/mL; both PPF and caffeic acid increased IL-6 and IL-10 without significantly affecting TNF-\(\alpha\). The PSDE effects varied according to the extract concentrations. At the lowest concentrations (1, 10, and 25 \(\upmu\)g/mL), its effects were similar to those produced by PPF at 1 to 300 \(\upmu\)g/mL, and to caffeic acid at 100 \(\upmu\)g/mL, while at higher concentrations (100 and 300 \(\upmu\)g/mL), PSDE increased TNF-\(\alpha\) secretion and at 300 \(\upmu\)g/mL it decreased IL-10. The decrease in IL-10 levels was similar to that found for artepillin C at 100 \(\upmu\)g/mL, its predominant component (Table 1, Figure 1B). The MPE effects  
Figure 3: Effects of treatment with isolated propolis compounds: caffeic acid (**A–C**), \(p\)-coumaric acid (**D–F**), artepillin C (**G–I**) and baccharin (**J–L**) at different concentrations (10, 25, 50 and 100 \(\upmu\)g/mL) on cytokine secretion (pg/mL): IL-6 (**A**,**D**,**G**,**J**), TNF-\(\alpha\) (**B**,**E**,**H**,**K**) and IL-10 (**C**,**F**,**L**) by macrophages previously stimulated with LPS (500 ng/mL) (gray bars). The white bars represent cytokine secretion by macrophages that were not stimulated or treated with propolis, and the black bars represent macrophages that were stimulated with LPS and not treated with propolis. Significant differences (\(p\leq 0.05\)) are indicated by the different letters “a”, “b” and “c”. at 1 to 25 ug/mL were similar to those of baccharin, increasing IL-10, without affecting IL-6 and TNF-\(\alpha\). Baccharin was found only in this extract (Table 1, Figure 1C). Baccharin additionally decreased IL-6 at 50 ug/mL. Figure 4 gives an overview of this information through a heat map graphic presentation.