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DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1608479
Geopropolis from Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides Lepeletier: a source of antioxidant natural products of floral origins
Publication History
Publication Date:
24 October 2017 (online)
Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides Lepeletier is a stingless bee found in Mogi-Guaçu, São Paulo, Brazil that produces honey, geopropolis and accumulates pollen. The geopropolis is a mixture of floral origin pollens, waxes, plant resins, soil and salivary secretions1. The plant resins from geopropolis collected by Melipona quadrifasciata have several origins, and geopropolis of other regions have been reported to possess a great variety of biological activity2. The geopropolis samples (05) were collected for study in the year of 2015 at 13/01, 09/03, 15/04, 10/05 and 10/06. The aim of this work was to study the chemical composition of hydroalcholic (70%) and hydrocetonic extracts (70%), to evaluate the antioxidant activity and quality of accumulated dominant pollens (> 45%) of geopropolis, a source of natural products. The results showed potential antioxidant activity when evaluated by DPPH (2, 2-diphenil-1-picril hidrazil). The phytochemical screening showed that geopropolis is a mixture of phenolic compounds when derivated by FeCl3 and NP/PEG reagents, but the gallic acid is not the main natural product (HPLC-UV and gallic acid standard). This study showed that the dominant pollens of the geopropolis from Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides were obtained from of genera Vernonia (Asteraceae collected at 10/06/2015), Pinus (Pinaceae, collected at 09/03/2015) Eucaliptus (Myrtaceae at 13/01, 15/04 and 10/05/2015), and from Melastomataceae, Combretaceae and Malpiguiaceae families. These data suggest that the natural products present in the hydroalcoholic and hydrocetonic extracts are of floral origins of the geopropolis samples collected from the species belonging to the genera and families of plants that were visited during the collection periods.
[1] Dutra RP, Nogueira AMC, Marques RRO, Costa MCP, Ribeiro MNS. 2008 Rev. Bras. Farmacogn.18:557 – 562.
[2] Cunha, M.G; Rosalen, P. Luiz; Franchini, M.; Alencar, S. M.; Ikegaki, M.; Ransom, T.; Beutler, J.A. 2016. Planta Medica 82: 190.