Propolis - Natural Medicine

Propolis, also known as bee glue, bee bread or hive dross, is a sticky dark-coloured resinous material produced by the honeybee from resinous plant materials. The worker bees collect the resins which are secreted from plant wounds such as cracks, or secreted during bud formation.

These resinous materials are produced by the plants by a variety of botanical processes and are mainly secreted as a defence mechanism for young leaves, buds and wounded tissues against mechanical breakages (mostly by harsh weather), bacteria, viruses and fungi. The bees then mix the resin with beeswax and use it in the adaptation of their hive. Propolis can be used by the bees as a draught excluder or to seal and strengthen the hive walls. In fact, the term propolis originates from the Greek word ‘pro’ which means ‘in defence of’ and ‘polis’ which means ‘city’.

Sometimes bees also use propolis to embalm a dead invader (such as a small mouse) which would have entered the hive to eat the honey. The bees are able to kill the small invader (with their stings) but before leaving it to decompose, thus releasing harmful bacteria and pathogens, the bees embalm the body with propolis to prevent this.

Propolis usually has a very strong smell and colouration which results from the beeswax and the resinous plant material. Its colour, which is mainly due to the flavonoids present, varies depending on the plant sources of propolis and its age. In fact propolis is a very complex product. It varies with geographical regions, due to different plant sources (resin sources) available. So it is understandable that propolis from Malta is different from propolis from other parts of the world (such as Brazil), as the bees collect the resins from different plants. Nevertheless, although the chemistry of these different types of propolis is very varied, the biological activity is more or less constant in its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-infective properties.

Its medicinal qualities and uses over time.

Writers in ancient Rome and Greece were already familiar with propolis and knew that bees collected it from plants and used it in the hive. Propolis has been used by humans in folk medicine since ancient times in both Europe and the Middle East. It is still frequently used to treat stomach and mouth ulcers, wounds, burns and other sores. Most of its therapeutic effects are due to the anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Propolis is also normally known to be a very good antioxidant. Antioxidants are intimately involved in the prevention of cellular damage - the common pathway for cancer, aging, and a variety of diseases.

Propolis is most commonly used in folk medicine as a balsam or dissolved in water or ethanol (alcohol) and it is one of the few natural remedies that has maintained its popularity over a long period of time. In ancient times, it was used as a mouth disinfectant, an anti-pyretic agent (an agent which reduces or prevents fever) and an antiseptic for treating wounds. Even as early as in the seventeenth century, propolis was listed as an official drug by pharmacopoeias (a book containing directions for the identification and the preparation of medicines) in London.

Preparations from natural products (also known as phytomedicines) are regaining popularity for treatment of a variety of alignments and their prophylaxis (Greek meaning for ‘to guard’ or ‘prevent beforehand’ - a procedure which prevents, rather than treats the onset of a disease). This is partly due to their wide scope of pharmacological properties and their weaker side effects when compared to synthetic preparation.

Propolis can be seen between the slits of the frames. The honeybees tried to cover the open slits between the frames when the beehive was left partly uncovered as a result of strong winds.

References:

1. Weis R.F, Fintelmann V. (1999) The Treatment of Diseases with the Herbs, 141-7.

2. Langenheim J.H. (2003) Plant resins: chemistry, evolution, ecology, and ethnobotany. Timber Press.

3. Bankova V.S., Marcucci M.C. (2000) Standardization of propolis: present status and perspectives. Bee World, 81: 182-188.

4. Crane E. (1999) The world history of beekeeping and honey hunting. Taylor & Francis.

5. De Castro S.L. (2001) Propolis: Biological and Pharmacological Activities. ARBS Ann Rev Biomed Sci, 3: 49-83.

6. Stefano C., Francesco C. (2002) Propolis and its extract capsules with a relatively simple extraction procedure. Fitoterapia, 73: 51-56.

7. Cao Y.H., Wang Y., Yuan Q. (2004) Analysis of Flavonoids and Phenolic Acid in Propolis by Capillary Electrophoresis. Chromatographia, 59: 135-140.

Animal Cruelty is not Educational

The Circus Animal Rights Coalition would like to congratulate and thank the Education Division for the decision that it has taken as regards to animal circuses. Such a decision shows that luckily animal rights awareness amongst school children is nowadays being given the relevant attention it deserves.

The Circus Animal Rights Coalition would like to sustain its position that animals used in circuses are unwilling participants in a show that jeopardizes their health and psychological well-being. Circuses force animals often through painful and punitive methods to perform tricks that are contradictory to their innate instincts and behavior, which factor results in substantial injuries during performance and training. Furthermore, animals in circuses have to sustain long distance traveling to arrive to the performance destination, during which they are often kept in unsuitable and precarious conditions. The climate of the locality area may furthermore be unsuitable for their natural temperament in such a way that they sustain undue suffering. These factors continue to exacerbate the already stressful conditions caused by confinement and transportation.

As a result, contrary to what circuses say and the justification some people use for taking children to see the show, seeing animals in circuses does not provide a realistic educational tool because the animals are forced to perform tricks and live in conditions that are not natural for them. The animals are in an environment drastically different from their natural habitats, and their spirits are broken from harsh training and from not being able to fulfill some of their most basic needs and instincts.

The coalition is on the other hand highly dismayed by the fact that notwithstanding the increasing public's opposition to the exploitation of animals in circuses, the same company persists year over year to make profit from this form of animal cruelty. The coalition has also launched a Facebook page with the name of Circus Animal Rights Coalition and an online petition which can be accessed from:http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/animalslavery/

Mary Grace Vella

On behalf of the Circus Animal Rights Coalition:

Moviment Graffitti, Animal Rights Group, Ananda Marga, Association for Abandoned Animals, Island Sanctuary, Cetfree, Greenhouse, Alternattiva Demokrtika Zaghzagh, SOS Animals, St. Francis D’Assisi Foundation, Nature Trust, SPCA (Malta), Centru Tbexbix, Stray Animal Support Group, Street Cat Rescue, Share Malta, Noah’s Arc, National Cat Society, International Animal Rescue and World Animal Conscience.

News on Media:

Times of Malta - This issue came out days after our original Press Release

L-Orizzont - This issue came on the day of the PR

Di-ve

MEPs express themselves on Climate Change and the upcoming Copenhagen

On the 20th of October the plenary session of the European parliament had a debate on the Position of the Council on the Copenhagen Agreement which are to take over and replace the current Kyoto agreement.

This debate gave no votes on the content of the statement currently drafted but gave space for the MEPs to express themselve on the content and what is at stake at the Copenhagen debate. Therefore, we have prepared three questions to the Maltese MEPs to give their vews on Climate Change and Copenhagen.

The following are the questions asked and the answers recieved:

The EU is seen as having taken a leadership position in the drafting of the Kyoto protocol, and also later in the way it lived up to its commitments differently from the rest of the western world. Given the greater likeliness of cooperation and a greater amount of countries involved this time around at Copenhagen what position should the EU take in the negotiations?

I would like to see the EU taking a strong position for Copenhagen, pressing for an ambitious and comprehensive agreement that will prevent global temperatures from rising more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Most importantly, we should insist on binding emission reductions for all industrialised countries and appropriate action by developing countries to limit emissions. We also need to establish a global framework for adaptation to climate change, whose main component should be an expanded international carbon market that would generate a large part of the funds necessary for mitigation measures and promote emission cuts. I also support the socialist view that developing countries have contributed least to climate change but are facing its most severe consequences, therefore we must also ensure that climate change policies do not undermine, but work towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. Generally, as an outcome of Copenhagen, I would like to see a single, legally binding agreement that builds on the Kyoto Protocol and moves it forward.

- Louis Grech

As it did before, the EU should show its strong commitment to fight the challenges of climate change. It should demonstrate the leadership in taking up ambitious mitigation action within its borders and outside and through its determination to support developing countries both financially and technologically in moving to a low carbon growth scenario. The EU must continue with its current commitment of reducing carbon emissions by 20% by 2020 with the aim to reach an even more ambitious target to reduce emissions by 30%. However, the success of our efforts lies in mutual confidence, trust and belief that sustainable growth on a global scale is the way to respond to the challenge.

- John Attard Montalto

Simon Busuttil - No Reply

David Casa – No Reply

Edward Scicluna – No Reply

________________________________

A lot has been said on the best way to finance our way out of the financial crisis and climate change as a dual objective. Where would EU funding be most effective in the aim of reducing EU carbon emissions and which type of technology seems most promising in achieving these objectives?

· At the moment, in the S&D Group and in the Budget Committee it has been agreed that as regards Budget 2010, funding should not be allocated for economic recovery at the expense of issues such as climate change. Thus, I firmly believe that one issues should not be at the expense of the other.

· The biggest source of carbon emissions is fossil fuel combustion, so our first priority should be the development of technologies that reduce our dependence on it or replace it altogether. Therefore providing funding for research and development of renewable energy sources has clear benefits. The transportation and construction sectors are major sources of carbon emissions and investments to make them less polluting would contribute to mitigate the financial crisis as well. Funding eco-friendly infrastructure and making buildings more energy-efficient will create many "green jobs" in the short term and save costs and emissions in the long term. Generally, I am strongly in favour of providing EU funds for cost-effective solutions that will pay for themselves in the long term, while at the same time reducing emissions. I also believe it is important to subsidize developing countries with new technologies that reduce emissions, which they would not be able to afford otherwise.

· Generally speaking, the EU budget - in its present format -cannot deal efficiently and effectively with issues related to climate change.

In October 2008 I had made a formal proposal that was approved by Parliament. The proposal dictated that the Union will create a specific fund to finance measures on climate change which will cost millions of euro annually, but within the context of an integrated strategy. I proposed that the fund be financed through the Emissions Trading Scheme, under which companies throughout the EU pay charges according to the greenhouse gasses their plants and factories emit.

Thus, in this respect, I am arguing that the creation of a specific "Climate Change Fund" or a dedicated budget line would significantly improve the EU's capability to effectively address climate change issues from a budgetary and financial perspective

- Louis Grech

Considering that the effective use and introduction of renewable energies in many spheres of life presents a solution to reducing carbon emissions it would be helpful to accelerate the evolution of mechanisms which function on renewable energy sources (for example, support mechanisms for cooling and heating), as well as introducing renewable energy requirements on the local level when it comes to planning and building in industrial and residential areas. The most promising answer to achieving these objectives is a mix of energy producing technologies using wind, sun, currents, thermal sources, etc. If I had to single out a particular source I believe the sun is the answer.

- John Attard Montalto

Simon Busuttil - No Reply

David Casa – No Reply

Edward Scicluna – No Reply

________________________________

Malta stands to lose considerably in terms of tourism, agriculture and biodiversity from the impacts of climate change. What is your view on these arising issues in the Maltese context?

Not necessarily, since the months in which tourism is lowest will see an increase in the number of tourists as the weather will be warmer. The months which today are referred to as high season will be negatively impacted. The end result will probably be a balancing out in the numbers lost in very hot months with the numbers gained in warmer months.

This will also apply to energy usage since an increase in cooling systems will be compensated with a decrease in warming systems.

As the sun is the answer as a source for future energy Malta will be in a better position to harness this type of energy.

The rise in sea water levels will affect the surface area of the islands, however it will not be difficult to use reclamation procedures as the depth of water under which the areas will be submerged will be moderate.

- John Attard Montalto

Simon Busuttil - No Reply

David Casa – No Reply

Louis Grech – No Reply

Edward Scicluna – No Reply

More information:

Video Streaming	Attendence Report	Debate
Watch the debate which took place on the Council’s position for the EU with regards to the Copenhagen Summit.	List of MEPs present for this Plenary Session	Find the transcripts of the debate which took place in this plenary session. Translations of all MEP will take place over time.

Battery Buster Bins - No more excuses

With all our mp3s, iPods and all sorts of gadgets, we are becoming more and more dependent on batteries- these small energy reservoirs which can provide you with the energy needed to listen to your favorite song on your bus ride back home.

But what are batteries really made of? Batteries are a cocktail of chemicals, and the chemicals therein are not exactly the most safe and green of chemicals. If left in the environment, especially exposed to rain and sun, these chemicals leach out from the batteries and can percolate underground to our water supplies. Therefore we can be drinking traces of what once powered our music entertainment.

So batteries ending up in landfills can be very damaging not only to the environment but to our own health. These chemicals can also end up in our seas risking our health during swimming. Soil can also be affected especially if we just throw our batteries into an open space or worse arable fields. These chemicals can then find themselves into crops which we then ingest.

These chemicals can affect the central nervous system especially of young children, causing seizures, learning disabilities and mental defects.

For the sake of everything and everyone dispose of your batteries in a battery bin so that they can be processed by specialized companies and thus avoid these chemicals finding their way into the environment and eventually our bodies. These bins are being placed in a number of locations around Malta and a new battery bin has been placed at the University. You can find the wooden bin just outside the cafeteria. We urge you to make good use of it!

This bins can be found by the entrance of Canteen and in Agenda bookshop.

Provided by Wasteserve.

Campaign start on World Food Day - 'Kieku L-ikel Jitkellem'

On the occasion of World Food Day, Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust, the only Fair Trade organisation in Malta, is launching a campain with the theme of the right to food under the slogan “Kieku l-ikel Jitkellem”. This campaign is part of a larger project called Enlarging Fair in which KKĠ is participating, together with four other new EU member states. The project is coordinated by an Italian Fair Trade organisation and is co-financed by the EU.

KKĠ will not be working alone on this theme. It sought to involve other organisations, entities and individuals who are interested in participating in the campaign as a network. Among the organisations, NGOs or cooperatives which have joined the network there are Food First Malta, Friends of the Earth Malta, Greenhouse, Inizjamed, Moviment Graffitti, Slow Food Malta, Third World Group, Youth Alive Foundation and Żminijietna.

.........

The main aim of the “Kieku l-ikel Jitkellem” campaign is to raise awareness about world hunger and related environmental, social and economic issues and how we can make a difference to poor producers through our everyday choices and actions especially as consumers. The campaign will address various themes linked to the problem of world hunger such as:

§ The right and access to food;

§ The globalisation of the food market;

§ The industrial food chain;

§ The raw materials market (e.g. coffee and cocoa beans);

§ Volatile food prices, food subsidies and food dumping;

§ The situation of rural women in developing countries;

§ Food and intercultural education;

§ Genetically modified organisms, respect for biodiversity and free access to seeds;

§ The use of pesticides and their harmful effects;

§ The production of crops for food rather than for alternative energy.

.......

The major targets of the “Kieku l-ikel Jitkellem” campaign will be consumers and students in schools. More people need to recognise that the problems of poverty and hunger in the world today are not due to lack of food but due to lack of access to food.

Therefore in the coming months, KKĠ will be distributing educational material aimed at raising awareness on the themes linked to the “Kieku l-ikel Jitkellem” campaign. This material includes a set of ten postcards, each one containing information and messages in Maltese about Fair Trade, social justice, protection of the environment and local sustainability. KKĠ also has a documentary on DVD in English which was filmed in India and Sri Lanka. The short film features interviews with Vandana Shiva, world-renowned environmental leader and thinker as well as with growers of rice and herbs. This material will be distributed in secondary schools and during public activities organised by KKĠ or by other organisations taking part in the campaign. KKĠ will also be publishing a Consumers’ Guide so that consumers will be better informed about the food products they buy and how they can become more responsible consumers. The production of the postcards was sponsored by APS Bank.

........

The campaign will reach its peak in May 2010 with Worldfest, the annual Fair Trade Festival which KKĠ has been organising for the past eight years.

More information about Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust, L-Arka World Shop and the “Kieku l-ikel Jitkellem” campagn is available on the following websites:

www.l-arka.org u www.l-ikel.org

Angele Deguara and Nathalie Grima

Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust

For the Full Version of the Press Release: http://www.l-ikel.org/pr-launch-english.doc

Il-Verzioni kollha tal-Kunferenza Stampa: http://www.l-ikel.org/pr-launch-malti.doc

Reference on the Time of Malta: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091017/local/consumers-urged-to-go-for-organic

Greenhouse on the Times of Malta

The Greenhouse committee.

Name: Greenhouse.

Year established: 2008.

Vision and mission: Green­house’s vision is to have a permanent environmental stu­dent organisation on campus that can monitor life on campus and pinpoint any areas that can be improved sustainably so as to have a smaller impact on the environment.

Through Greenhouse, environ­mental NGOs can have a greater say on campus and University students can be more active in these NGOs to enrich their campus experience.

Greenhouse has embarked on a mission to concretely propose a number of initiatives and to work together with various NGOs, student organisations and governmental authorities to change the business-as-usual attitude so rampant on campus. Greenhouse also seeks to raise awareness on issues such as animal awareness and human rights.

Greatest achievment: The initia­tion of a composting scheme on campus so that organic waste, especially from the prunings of trees and shrubs, is composted. So far, a shredder has been hired to deal with prunings, with the final compost being taken away. Greenhouse is looking into the possibility of eliminating the need for this shredder and during this coming year, this project will hopefully come to full fruition.

Student Feedback @ Freshers - Part 2

The following are another round of comments we received on our guestbook by the students visiting our stand.

While thanking them all for taking some time to share their thoughts with us, we hope that a few of their ideas can be taken as hands on projects in the coming year.

Guestbook Extracts:

“Very good initiatives you are doing. Good Luck & Keep it up”

“The Chinese Garden is such a beautiful place where you can sit back and relax. Wish we had more beautiful astonishing places where we can focus on our studies and find peace!! :o)”

“My opinion about the environment of Uni is positive. I think we have enough open air which is good. Perhaps improvement in public transport could decrease the amount of cars around uni. Good Luck!”

“The university of Malta should be one of the pioneers of alternative energy projects in Malta”

“I would like to propose the introduction of fair trade coffee in the university coffee machines”

“I suggest a better disposal or reuse system for IT electronic waste. What happens to old monitors and discarded pc parts?”

“UNFCC - COP15 Copenhagen 24th October - Tck Tck Tck 350.org! Survival is not negotiable”

“Green the future!! Use the plentiful solar energy, actual recycling, and raising awareness to the enviornmental Damage too many cars cause to our university and to us”

“Battery Bin”

“I think this organisation is a really good idea as it might raise awareness among university students. I hope you manage to reach your goals. Wish you all the best of luck! xXx Alex xXx”

“Wind energy harvesting through giant kites”

Send more comments and share your thoughts on our profile, blog or email and join our network. + if you share your email address with we can list you on our membership list for free.

PS: We would like to thank organisations such as Moviment Graffiti for providing storage space and assistance.