The antibiotic effect of aqueous extract of propolis was evaluated in vitro against five species of bacteria. The growth of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis and Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli was completely inhibited in a medium containing 10% of propolis. Erwinia chrysanthemi was partially inhibited and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci was not affected. Lower concentration of the aqueous extract was not effective to promote a desirable antibiotic action against all bacterial species tested. The active ingredient present in the propolis was thermostable. The potential use of the propolis to control phytopathogenic bacteria was demonstrated.
propolis; control; phytopathogenic bacteria; ant