Phytochemical Screening, GC-MS Analysis and Total Phenolic Content Determination of Bioactive Compound of Propolis

Abstract

India is a hub for a large variety of natural products that have proven their therapeutic efficacy in various ailments and disorders. Despite it, a lot of natural products are yet to be explored, and Indian propolis is one of them. Indian propolis is a waxy natural product obtained from beehives. In this research, phytochemical constituents present in Indian propolis were qualitatively analyzed using phytochemical screening, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), and quantitatively using total phenolic content. Phytochemical screening results revealed the presence of total phenolic content, saponins, glycosides, alkaloids, terpenoids, proteins, steroids, flavonoids, oils & resins supported by GC-MS results. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 17 different constituents having higher peak areas. Amongst these 17 bioactive compounds, oxirane, phenyl ethyl alcohol, caffeine, chrysene, riboflavin and 2-aminophenol were found to have higher peak areas of 5.78, 4.58, 4.46, 3.11, 2.65 and 2.56%, respectively. The results of total phenolic contents revealed the presence of 23 different constituents in different concentrations amongst ellagic acid, kaempferol, epicatechin, galangin, and quercetin were present in rich amounts 538.73, 402.34, 234.85, 121.95 and 95.3 μg/kg, respectively. These constituents are well known for their therapeutic efficacy, which is an indication for the exploration of the therapeutic efficacy of Indian propolis in the future.