Benefits
Upper respiratory comfort in a 5-day throat spray trial
In a placebo-controlled trial of 122 adults with mild upper respiratory symptoms, 83 percent of those using a propolis throat spray (12 to 24 mg polyphenols a day) were symptom-free after 3 days, while 72 percent on placebo still had at least one symptom. This is a single trial, and one author worked for the extract maker.
Throat and upper airway comfort returned sooner than with placebo
By day 5 everyone in the trial had recovered, so the gain was speed: symptoms in the propolis group cleared about two days sooner than with placebo. No adverse reactions were linked to the spray. The product was sprayed into the throat, so the result may not carry over to a swallowed capsule.
Standardized to six polyphenols
Each batch is standardized to six polyphenols, so the amount of these compounds per dose is defined. The spray used in the trial contained 15 mg polyphenols per mL. Standardization describes the product's makeup; it does not by itself show a health effect.
Antimicrobial activity in laboratory tests
The six polyphenols were selected for antimicrobial activity in laboratory tests. Activity in a lab dish does not show what happens in the body, and no human study has tested Promunel against a specific germ.
Polyphenols absorbed and cleared within hours
In 10 healthy adults, polyphenol metabolites from a 400 mg dose peaked in blood after about 1 hour and were mostly excreted in urine within 3 hours, with about 57 percent of the polyphenols absorbed. Half of the researchers, including the lead and senior authors, work for Fytexia, a company with an ownership stake in the extract maker B Natural, and they suggested taking it more than once a day.
Mechanism of action
Polyphenol antimicrobial activity (lab data)
Propolis polyphenols such as those Promunel is standardized to show antimicrobial activity in laboratory tests. This lab activity is the basis for the product's design, not a demonstrated effect in people.
Direct contact with the throat
The trial product was a spray applied to the throat three times a day, so any benefit may come from local contact with throat tissue. Whether a swallowed capsule acts the same way has not been tested.
Fast absorption and short time in the blood
After a 400 mg dose, blood levels of propolis polyphenol metabolites, mainly glucuronides and sulfates, peaked within about an hour and fell over the following hours as they were cleared in urine. A single daily dose therefore gives only a short window of exposure.
Multi-Dynamic Extraction (M.E.D.) process
B Natural's patented M.E.D. process extracts and concentrates the polyphenols from raw propolis to a set specification. It is a manufacturing method; no trial has compared it with other extraction methods.
Clinical trials
Single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of an oral throat spray made with a standardized poplar-type propolis extract (15 mg polyphenols per mL), 2 to 4 sprays three times a day (12 to 24 mg polyphenols a day) for 5 days, with visits at day 3, day 5 and a 15-day follow-up. One author was from the extract maker B Natural. (Esposito et al. 2021, Phytomedicine)
122 otherwise healthy adults who reported mild, uncomplicated upper respiratory symptoms (58 propolis, 64 placebo).
After 3 days, 83 percent of the propolis group had no symptoms, while 72 percent of the placebo group still had at least one. By day 5 all participants had recovered, so symptoms resolved about two days sooner with propolis. No adverse reactions were linked to the spray or placebo. The product was a throat spray, not a capsule.
Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study measuring blood and urine polyphenol metabolites for 48 hours after single 400 mg and 1,600 mg doses of Promunel. Half the authors, including the first and last, worked for Fytexia, which holds a stake in the extract maker B Natural. (Jaffrelo et al. 2026, Food Funct)
10 healthy adults.
The researchers identified 63 polyphenol metabolites in plasma and 85 in urine, mostly glucuronides and sulfates. Plasma levels peaked about 1 hour after intake and urinary excretion was mostly complete within 3 hours. About 57 percent of the polyphenols were absorbed at 400 mg and 44 percent at 1,600 mg. This study measured absorption only, not any health outcome.