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eCAM Advance Access published online on January 31, 2008
eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nem177
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© 2008 The Author(s).
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Seasonal Variation, Chemical Composition and Antioxidant activity of Brazilian Propolis Samples

Érica Weinstein Teixeira1, Dejair Message2, Giuseppina Negri3, Antonio Salatino4 and Paulo César Stringheta5

1Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios – Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento/SP, Caixa Postal – 07. 12.400-970, Pindamonhangaba, SP, 2Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Biologia Animal, 36.571-000, Viçosa, MG, 3Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Departamento de Psicobiologia, Rua Botucatu, 862, Edifício Biomédicas, 1º andar, CEP – 04023-062, São Paulo, SP, 4Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Botânica, C. Postal. 11461, 05.422-970, São Paulo, SP and 5Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Tecnologia de Alimentos, 36.571 -000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil

Total phenolic contents, antioxidant activity and chemical composition of propolis samples from three localities of Minas Gerais state (southeast Brazil) were determined. Total phenolic contents were determined by the Folin–Ciocalteau method, antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH, using BHT as reference, and chemical composition was analyzed by GC/MS. Propolis from Itapecerica and Paula Cândido municipalities were found to have high phenolic contents and pronounced antioxidant activity. From these extracts, 40 substances were identified, among them were simple phenylpropanoids, prenylated phenylpropanoids, sesqui- and diterpenoids. Quantitatively, the main constituent of both samples was allyl-3-prenylcinnamic acid. A sample from Virginópolis municipality had no detectable phenolic substances and contained mainly triterpenoids, the main constituents being {alpha}- and β-amyrins. Methanolic extracts from Itapecerica and Paula Cândido exhibited pronounced scavenging activity towards DPPH, indistinguishable from BHT activity. However, extracts from Virginópolis sample exhibited no antioxidant activity. Total phenolic substances, GC/MS analyses and antioxidant activity of samples from Itapecerica collected monthly over a period of 1 year revealed considerable variation. No correlation was observed between antioxidant activity and either total phenolic contents or contents of artepillin C and other phenolic substances, as assayed by CG/MS analysis.

Keywords: antioxidant activity – Apis mellifera – Baccharis dracunculifolia – DPPH – propolis – seasonality

For reprints and all correspondence: Antonio Salatino, University of São Paulo, Institute of Biosciences, Department of Botany, C. Postal 11461, 05422-970, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Tel: +55-11-3091-7532; Fax: +55-11-3091-7416; E-mail: asalatin{at}ib.usp.br

Received June 26, 2007; accepted November 27, 2007


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