Journal Article

Chemical characterization and biological activity of six different extracts of propolis through conventional methods and supercritical extraction

Devequi-Nunes, Danielle, da Silva, Danielle Figuerêdo, Brandão, Hugo Neves, da Rocha, José Luiz Carneiro, Umsza-Guez, Marcelo Andres, Barreto, Gabriele de Abreu, Machado, Bruna Aparecida Souza, Rebouças Silva, Jéssica, Borges, Valéria M.

2018

Overview

Propolis is a natural product with many demonstrated biological activities and propolis extract has been used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. Different works have showed the variations in the chemical composition, and consequently, on the biological activity of the propolis that are associated with its type and geographic origin. Due to this study evaluated propolis extracts obtained through supercritical extraction and ethanolic extraction (conventional) in three samples of different types of propolis (red, green and brown), collected from different regions in Brazil (state of Bahia). Analyses were performed to determine the humidity, water activity, the content of total ash, proteins, lipids and fiber in raw propolis samples. The content of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, in vitro antioxidant activity (DPPH), catechin, ferulic acid and luteolin and antimicrobial activity against two bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) were determined for all extracts. For the green and red ethanolic extracts the anti-leishmanicidal potential was also evaluated. The physicochemical profiles showed agreement in relation to the literature. The results identified significant differences among the extracts (p>0.05), which are in conformity with their extraction method, as well as with type and botanical origin of the samples. The extraction with supercritical fluid was not efficient to obtain extracts with the highest contents of antioxidants compounds, when compared with the ethanolic extracts. The best results were shown for the extracts obtained through the conventional extraction method (ethanolic) indicating a higher selectivity for the extraction of antioxidants compounds. The red variety showed the largest biological potential, which included the content of antioxidants compounds. The results found in this study confirm the influence of the type of the raw material on the composition and characteristics of the extracts. The parameters analysis were important to characterize and evaluate the quality of the different Brazilian propolis extracts based on the increased use of propolis by the natural products industry.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Animals / Anti-Infective Agents - chemistry / Anti-Infective Agents - isolation & purification / Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology / Antimicrobial activity / Antimicrobial agents / Antioxidants / Antioxidants (Nutrients) / Antioxidants - chemistry / Antioxidants - isolation & purification / Antioxidants - pharmacology / Backup software / Bacteria / Biological activity / Biology and Life Sciences / Brazil / Catechin / Cell adhesion & migration / Chemical composition / Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid / Cosmetics / Cosmetics industry / Cytotoxicity / E coli / Escherichia coli / Escherichia coli - drug effects / Ethanol / Ferulic acid / Flavonoids / Flavonoids - analysis / Food / Food industry / Gram-positive bacteria / Humidity / Isoflavones / Leishmania braziliensis - drug effects / Lipids / Macrophages - drug effects / Macrophages - parasitology / Male / Medicine and Health Sciences / Methods / Mice / Mice, Inbred BALB C / Microtechnology / Natural products / Organic chemistry / Oxygen therapy / Parasitic diseases / People and places / Phenolic compounds / Phenols / Phenols - analysis / Physical Sciences / Plant extracts / Propolis / Propolis - chemistry / Propolis - isolation & purification / Propolis - pharmacology / Proteins / Raw materials / Research and Analysis Methods / Selectivity / Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects / Supercritical fluids / Water activity