Chemical Profiling of Tropical Propolis: Challenges and New Data
Abstract
Propolis is a
beehive product valuable for both bees and humans. Its complex chemical
composition and beneficial properties have attracted the scientific attention
for many years. Extensive studies on propolis from different regions have
revealed similar chemistry of propolis from temperate zones, its botanical
origin is mainly Populus spp., and
remarkably different for the tropical one. Due to diversity of tropical flora,
several propolis types have been formulated most of them originating from
Brazil, Cuba and Pacific Islands. However, in tropical climatic zone there are
regions from where propolis is scantly or not investigated that may result in
characterization of new types, and thus in isolation of valuable bioactive
compounds. In this end, the study of tropical propolis entails challenges
associated with diversity of geographical locations, plant sources and bee
species. Propolis analysis is an added challenge due to need of reliable
profiling, and identification, if possible, of majority of the compounds often
being a number of structurally different, present in one sample.
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