Characteristics and Chemical Compositions of Propolis from
Ethiopia
Springerplus, 2014 May 20;3:253
INTRODUCTION:
Propolis is a sticky material mixed by honeybees to utilize
it in protecting their hives from infection by bacteria and fungi. The
therapeutic properties of propolis are due to its chemical composition with
bio-active compounds; therefore, researchers are interested in studying its
chemical constituents and biological properties. The main objective of this
study is to determine the chemical compositions, characteristics and relative
concentrations of organic compounds in the extractable organic matter of
propolis samples collected from four different areas in Ethiopia.
RESULTS:
The propolis samples were extracted with a mixture of
dichloromethane and methanol and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass
spectrometry (GC-MS).The results showed that the total extract yields ranged
from 27.2% to 64.2% (46.7 ± 19.1%). The major compounds were triterpenoids
(85.5 ± 15.0% of the total extracts, mainly α-, β-amyrins and amyryl acetates),
n-alkanes (5.8 ± 7.5%), n-alkenes (6.2 ± 7.0%,), methyl n-alkanoates
(0.4 ± 0.2%), and long chain wax esters (0.3 to 2.1%).
CONCLUSION:
The chemical compositions of these propolis samples indicate
that they are potential sources of natural bio-active compounds for biological
and pharmacological applications.
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