Abstract
Background: Honey, pollen, and propolis are among the products that bees process and derive from plants and flowers. Propolis is a resinous material that bees gather from the buds and bark of some trees and small plants. Propolis from temperate climates mainly contains phenolic compounds, in contrast with propolis from tropical climates, which mainly contains terpenes. This study aimed to determine, characterise, and quantify the phenolic content of raw propolis from Burundi. Methods: In this study, a total of 6 samples were collected from the provinces of Rumonge, Cibitoke, and Ruyigi in Burundi. Fifteen phenolic compounds (caffeic acid, ferulic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, isoferulic acid, cinnamic acid, caffeic acid phenethyl ester, gallic acid, apigenin, chrysin, galangin, quercetin, kaempherol, rutin trihydrate, naringenin, and pinocembrin) were used as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) standards for qualitative and quantitative analyses of the propolis samples. Results: Among the 15 phenolic compounds checked, only 1 – gallic acid – was detected at a measurable level using an HPLC-diode array detector system. Conclusion: In addition to terpenes, propolis found in sub-Saharan Africa may contain phenolic compounds. Further advanced investigation of sub-Saharan African propolis is required for more detailed characterisation.
Highlights
Honeybees process and produce various substances from plants and flowers, such as honey, pollen, and propolis.[1]
This study aimed to identify, quantify, and characterise the presence of phenolic compounds in Burundian propolis
Propolis is typically described as having a fibrous, matte, sticky, and bright appearance, with colours ranging from red, yellow, and green to dark brown depending on the plant source and region; our propolis samples matched these characteristic descriptions
Summary
Honeybees process and produce various substances from plants and flowers, such as honey, pollen, and propolis.[1]. Propolis is a resinous material collected by honeybees from buds and cracks in the bark of certain plants, typically from poplar, beech, horse chestnut, birch and conifer trees. Bees mix this substance with beeswax and bee enzymes (β-glycosidase) that they secrete during propolis collection.[6,7,8,9] Propolis contains mainly resin and plant balsam, beeswaxes, essential oils, as well as organic and mineral compounds.[5] Honeybees use propolis to plug holes, straighten inner walls, and soften the walls of their hives for protection against external invaders and hive temperature regulation. Further advanced investigation of sub-Saharan African propolis is required for more detailed characterisation
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