![HPLC chromatograms of ethanol extracts of shoot apices of 'jurema-preta' [Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir., Leguminosae, Mimosoideae] and propolis samples from two localities of Rio Grande do Norte (north-east Brazil).](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Antonio-Salatino/publication/312302479/figure/fig1/AS:459838644854784@1486645484035/HPLC-chromatograms-of-ethanol-extracts-of-shoot-apices-of-jurema-preta-Mimosa_Q320.jpg)
Content uploaded by Antonio Salatino
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Antonio Salatino on Sep 17, 2020
Content may be subject to copyright.
Content uploaded by Antonio Salatino
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Antonio Salatino on Apr 15, 2019
Content may be subject to copyright.
3552
Research Article
Received: 11 August 2016 Revised: 27 December 2016 Accepted article published: 11 January 2017 Published online in Wiley Online Library: 8 February 2017
(wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI 10.1002/jsfa.8210
New propolis type from north-east Brazil:
chemical composition, antioxidant activity
and botanical origin
Joselena M Ferreira,a,†Caroline C Fernandes-Silva,aAntonio Salatino,a*
Giuseppina Negria,‡and Dejair Messageb
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Propolis is a bee product with wide diversity of biological activity. It has a complex composition, which is
dependent on its botanical source. The presentstudy aimed to determine the chemical profile, antioxidant activity and botanical
origin of two samples of a propolis type from two locations of the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN, north-east Brazil).
RESULTS: The standard chemical characteristics of the RN propolis are similar or superior to the internationally marketed
Brazilian green propolis. RN propolis from two locations have high antioxidant activity, corresponding to 10% (municipality of
Afonso Bezerra) and 13% (municipality of Alto do Rodrigues) of quercetin activity by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method
and to 15% (both locations) by the 𝜷-carotene discoloration method. High-performance liquid chromatography with diode
array detection (HPLC-DAD)-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry analyses revealed that most constituents of the
RN propolis are flavonoids, mainly flavonols and chalcones. HPLC-DAD analysis of ethanol extracts revealed a great similarity
between the chemical profile of RN propolis and shoot apices of ‘jurema-preta’ (Mimosa tenuiflora,Leguminosae, Mimosoideae).
CONCLUSION: ‘Jurema-preta’ shoot apices are likely resin sources of RN propolis. The chemical characteristics and antioxidant
property of RN propolis provide promising prospects for the introduction of this type of propolis into the apicultural market.
© 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Keywords: Mimosa tenuiflora; propolis; HPLC-DAD-MS/MS; phenolic substances; flavonoids; chalcones
INTRODUCTION
Propolis is a honeybee product with a complex composition.
Beeswax and plant resins are major constituents of propolis. Other
materials normally found in propolis are pollen, sugars and amino
acids. The medicinal uses of propolis date back to the ancient
Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Over the last few decades, inter-
est in propolis has increased considerably in several parts of the
world as a result of the publication of scientific evidence revealing
that propolis has diverse properties beneficial to health, including
antioxidant, antimicrobial, immune-stimulating and anti-tumoral
effects.1The biological properties of propolis are a result of sub-
stances present in the plant material (resin) collected by honey-
bees. Propolis in the hive is considered to reduce the risk of disease
and parasite transmission through the colony.2In several coun-
tries, propolis is an important raw material in the manufacture of
food and hygiene products (e.g. toothpaste, soap and shampoo).
It has been advocated that some propolis constituents (e.g. caffeic
acid phenethyl ester from European propolis and artepillin c from
green Brazilian propolis) may have use as lead compounds in mod-
ern medicines.3
The composition of propolis is dependent on the plant species
used as a resin source. Honeybees exhibit a marked preference
for some plant species with respect to propolis production. For
example, most of the propolis produced in south-east Brazil
belongs to the green type derived from buds of Baccharis
dracunculifolia DC.4,5Commercially, Brazilian green propolis
ranks among the most important in the world, being exported
to China, Japan and Germany. Another commercially important
Brazilian propolis is the red type from the littoral of the north-east
Brazil, which is derived from exudates of Dalbergia ecastophyllum
L. Taub.6
Data concerning chemical composition are also available for
propolis from other Brazilian North-eastern states, such as Piauí
and Bahia,7as well as from Ceará.8To our knowledge, nothing has
been published about the chemistry of propolis from Rio Grande
do Norte (RN), a state in the most eastern part of South Amer-
ica. It is situated in the Brazilian semi-arid ‘drought polygon’,9
a north-eastern region with serious social and economic prob-
lems, which, for centuries, have ranked among the worst in the
∗Correspondence to: A Salatino, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de
Biociências, Rua do Matão 277, BR-05508-090, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
E-mail: asalatin@ib.usp.br
†Current address: Universidade FederalRural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, RN, Brazil
‡Current address: Universidade Federalde São Paulo, Departamento de Psicobi-
ologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
aUniversidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências, São Paulo,SP, Brazil
bUniversidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró,RN, Brazil
J Sci Food Agric 2017; 97: 3552–3558 www.soci.org © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
3553
New propolis type from north-east Brazil www.soci.org
country.10 The typical vegetation of the area is exclusive and is
referred to as caatinga, a dry forest dominated by small spiny trees
and shrubs, euphorbs and cacti.
Bee keeping is economically important in RN. However, propo-
lis production is still neglected by most local apiculturists. This is
unfortunate, especially considering that the peak of propolis pro-
duction in the area takes place during the drier months, when
farming and cattle ranching are hampered. To introduce RN propo-
lis into the apiculture market, several procedures are necessary,
including the determination of standard parameters (odor, color,
texture, total phenolic substances, total flavonoids), analysis of the
chemical profile, evaluation of biological activity and identifica-
tion of the plant source. It has been speculated that, in north-east
Brazil, an abundant and hardy leguminous plant, popularly known
as ‘jurema-preta’ might represent the botanical origin of the local
propolis.
The present study aimed to determine standard parameters,
characterize chemical constituents and evaluate the biological
activity of propolis samples from the apiaries of two municipalities
in RN, in addition to testing the hypothesis that ‘jurema-preta’ is
their resin source.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Collection of propolis and plant material
Propolis samples were collected in apiaries located in the munic-
ipalities of Afonso Bezerra (5∘29′45.7′′S; 36∘31′10.3′′W) in Febru-
ary 2014, during a prolonged dry period, and Alto do Rodrigues
(5∘15′21′′S; 36∘45′29′′W) in June/July 2013. Both apiaries were
surrounded by caatinga vegetation, affected by the invasion of
the Asiatic Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC. (Leguminosae, Mimosoideae)
and areas of melon plantation. The samples were obtained from
Langstroth rational hives of Africanized Apis mellifera L. Samples
were collected in Alto do Rodrigues in June/July 2013, and in
Afonso Bezerra in February 2014, amidst a prolonged dry period.
The method to stimulate propolis production was a system of
wooden battens (370 ×20 ×20 mm) on the front and back of the
boxes, between the super and the hive, maintaining a gap of 20 cm
on both sides. The samples were collected by scraping the product
accumulated in the gaps on both sides. Propolis deposited in other
parts of the hive was ignored. The samples were placed inside non-
toxic plastic bags and kept in freezer. Shoot apices and flowering
specimens of ‘jurema-preta’ were collected in a caatinga area in
the municipality of Afonso Bezerra. The apices were air dried and
kept in freezer inside plastic bags. Voucher specimens were pre-
pared and deposited in the SPF Herbarium (Department of Botany,
University of São Paulo, Brazil). The species was identified by Dr
Luciano Paganucci de Queiroz(State University of Feira de Santana,
state of Bahia, Brazil) as Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir.(syn. Mimosa
hostilis Benth.).
Preparation of ethanol extracts
Propolis samples from both localities were powdered using liq-
uid nitrogen, mortar and pestle. Triplicates of 10 g of propolis
from each locality were treated with 150 mL of ethanol in Soxh-
let for 6 h. The extracts were filtered and kept overnight in dark
vials in freezer at −20 ∘C. The extract was filtered again to elim-
inate wax excess. Dried apices of ‘jurema-preta’ were also pow-
dered with liquid nitrogen in a mortar and pestle. A portion of 1 g
of the powder was extracted in Soxhlet with ethanol for 6 h. For
high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detec-
tion (HPLC/DAD) and HPLC-DAD-electrospray ionization-tandem
mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) analyses, aliquots of extracts from
propolis of both localities and jurema-preta apices were evapo-
rated to dryness under nitrogen flow and the residue dissolved in
methanol to obtain solutions at 10 mg mL−1.
Standard chemical parameters
For determination of total solids and wax, pooled extracts from
each locality were used. The solvent was evaporated to dryness
under nitrogen flow and weighed for determination of total solids.
The content of wax was also determined using pooled extracts.
Triplicates of samples from each locality were used for deter-
mination of the contents of total phenolic substances and total
flavonoids: the former by the method of Folin–Ciocalteau and the
latter by the method of aluminum chloride. The procedures are
described elsewhere.11 p-Coumaric acid was used as reference for
the determination of total phenolic substances, and quercetin for
total flavonoids.
Antioxidant activity
Procedures employing 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and
𝛽-carotene discoloration (𝛽-carotene/linoleic acid) were car-
ried out with triplicate samples from each locality as described
previously,12 with some modifications. For the former method,
methanol solutions were prepared at 15, 30, 45 and 60 μgmL
−1of
the propolis extracts. Methanol solutions of quercetin at 2.5, 5.0,
7.5, 10.0, 15.0 and 30.0 μgmL
−1were used as reference. For the
𝛽-carotene/linoleic acid method, methanol solutions at 40, 80 and
120 μgmL
−1of the extracts and quercetin methanol solutions at
5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 μgmL
−1were used. Methanol was used
as blank for both methods. The results are expressed as EC50
(μgmL
−1).13
HPLC/DAD and HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS analyses
The methanol extracts of both propolis samples were purified
through 0.45-μm filters. An aliquot of 5 μL of the solutions of
the two samples of ‘jurema-preta’ apices was analyzed with a
HPLC HP 1260 chromatograph (Agilent Technologies Inc., Santa
Clara, CA, USA) equipped with a diode array detector, using a
Zorbax 5B-RP-18 column (4.6 ×250 mm, 5 μm; Hewlett-Packard,
Palo Alto, CA, USA) at 40 ∘C.Thesolventsusedwere0.1%acetic
acid (A) and methanol (B), with the B concentration gradient:
0–10 min, 10 – 20%; 10 – 20 min, 20– 40%; 20 – 30 min, 40– 50%;
30–38 min, 50 – 60%; 38 – 47.9 min, 60%; 47.9– 48 min, 60– 65%;
48–55 min, 65 – 70%. The flow rate was set at 0.5 mL min−1and
the column temperature was 40 ∘C. The diode array detector was
adjusted for detection at 254 and 352 nm.
The constituents of the two propolis samples were char-
acterized using 10 μL of the filtered solution and the tech-
nique HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS. The equipment used was a
DADSPD-M10AVP chromatograph (Shimadzu Corp., Kyoto, Japan),
equipped with a degasser, two LC-20 AC pumps, a CTO-20A col-
umn oven, a SIL 20 AC auto-injector and a SPD-20A diode array
detector, adjusted to operate at 254 and 352nm. The chromato-
graph was coupled to an Esquire 3000 Plus mass spectrometer
(Bruker Daltonics, Billerica, MA, USA), equipped with a quadrupole
ion trap mass analyzer. All hardware components were controlled
by CBM-20A software (Shimadzu Corp.). The analyses were run
with a reverse phase column Gemini C-18 (Phenomenex, Torrance,
CA, USA) (4.6 ×250 mm, 5 μm), protected by a guard column. The
solvents, gradient program and flow rate used were the same as
described above. The full scan mass acquisition was performed
J Sci Food Agric 2017; 97: 3552–3558 © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry wileyonlinelibrary.com/jsfa
3554
www.soci.org JM Ferreira et al.
Table 1. Chemical parameters (g kg−1) of samples of green propolis from two localities of the state of Rio Grande do Norte (north-east Brazil) and
official limits by TRPIQ
Propolis location Soluble solids Wax Total phenolic substances Total flavonoids
Afonso Bezerra 530 54 137 ±3.2 a 117 ±1.4 a
Alto do Rodrigues 544 81 143 ±1.6 a 94 ±2.3 b
TRPIQ Minimum 350 Maximum 250 Minimum 50 Minimum 5
The same lowercase letters within a column indicate that the means are not significantly different.
using electrospray ionization in the positive ionization mode by
scanning in the m/z range 100–1200. Helium was used as collision
and nitrogen as nebulizing gas, respectively. Nebulization was
aided with a coaxial nitrogen sheath gas provided at a pressure of
27 psi. Desolvation was assisted using a counter current nitrogen
flow set at 7.0 L min−1flux and a capillary temperature of 320 ∘C.
The data dependent MS/MS events were performed on the most
intense ions detected in MS full scan. Maximum accumulation
time of the ion trap and the numbers of MS to obtain the MS
average spectra were set at 30 and 3 MS, respectively.
All compounds were characterized by interpretation of the
respective ultraviolet (UV) and mass spectra, MS literature data
and on-line chemical databases Scifinder®(http://www.scifinder
.org), Reaxys®(http://www.reaxys.com), Riken MSn Spectral
database for Phytochemicals (Respect) (http://www.reaxys.riken
.jp), Phenol-Explorer (http://phenol-explorer.eu), Chem.Spider
(http://www.chemspider.com) and HMDB (http://www.hmdb.ca).
Quercetin was identified by direct comparison with a standard.
Flavonols were characterized by UV-visible bands at
345 –360 nm (band I) and 250 –280 nm (band II); flavones by bands
at 330–345 nm (band I) and 254 – 272 nm (band II); chalcones by
band I at 370 nm; and dihydroflavonols and dihydroflavones by
bands at 328 and 290 nm.14 In addition to molecular ions, MS char-
acterization of flavonoids were based on fragments generated by
the Retro-Diels –Alder reaction, providing data about the numbers
and types of substituents on the A and B rings.15–17 Whenever
possible, compound characterization relied on fragmentation by
both negative and positive ionization modes and literature data
were used to add in the characterization of phenylpropanoids and
flavonoids.18,19 Methoxylated flavonoids yielded fragments gen-
erated by loss of methyl radicals.19,20 A rhamnosyl glycoside was
characterized on the basis of the loss of rhamnose. Violanthin was
characterized by comparison of MS spectrum with the literature.21
Chalcones characterization relied on their characteristic long UV
length Band I (365–370 nm) and fragments obtained by losses
of hydroxyvynyl benzenes generated by the Retro-Diels– Alder
reaction.17 –19,22 The corresponding isomeric flavonones with
similar MS spectra were characterized by the shorter UV length
Band I (340 nm).
Statistical analysis
The significance of the differences between means of standard
chemical parameters and antioxidant activity were evaluated
using Student’s t-test.
RESULTS
Standard chemical parameters and antioxidant activity
Propolis from both localities have a green color. The samples from
Alto do Rodrigues have a darker hue than those from Afonso
Table 2. Antioxidant activity (EC50,μgmL
−1), evaluated by two
methods, of samples of green propolis from two municipalities of Rio
Grande do Norte (north-east Brazil) and quercetin
Samples DPPH 𝛽-carotene discoloration
Afonso Bezerra 56.2 ±0.4 a 101.1 ±2.7 a
Alto do Rodrigues 72.9 ±0.3 b 106.4±4.0 a
Quercetin 7.4 ±0.1 c 15.5 ±2.9 b
The same lowercase letters within a column indicate that the means
are not significantly different.
Bezerra. All samples are odorless, with a relatively moldable texture
and resinous taste. Table 1 gives the contents of soluble solids,
wax, total phenolic substances and total flavonoids, as well as
the respective Técnico para Fixação de Identidade e Qualidade de
Própolis (TRPIQ) limits,23 with respect to the physical and chemical
characteristics of propolis produced in Brazil. The sample from
Afonso Bezerra has a lower content of wax and a higher content
of flavonoids compared to the sample from Alto do Rodrigues.
Antioxidant activity
The EC50 values of antioxidant activity of the two propolis samples
are shown in Table2, together with the EC50 values of quercetin
solutions. The capacity of the sample from Afonso Bezerra to
sequester the DPPH radical was higher than the sample from Alto
do Rodrigues but, regarding 𝛽-carotene discoloration, the capac-
ity of propolis from both locations is not significantly different.
The activity of the propolis samples to sequester the DPPH radical
corresponds to approximately 10% (Alto do Rodrigues) and 13%
(Afonso Bezerra) of the activity of pure quercetin. Regarding the
method of 𝛽-carotene discoloration, the activity of the two sam-
ples is close to 15% of the activity of quercetin.
Constituents of propolis samples and apices of ‘jurema-preta’
The chemical profiles of the propolis samples of the two locations
and of the plant apices are very similar (Fig. 1). Differences were
noted only regarding the relative abundances of the constituents
of the extracts. Only phenolic compounds were characterized as
constituents of the analyzed extracts of propolis and plant apices
(Table 3). With the exception of compound 1(a phenylpropanoid),
all other constituents are flavonoids. Compounds 3,6and 18 are
flavones; among them, 3is a di-C-glycoside and the others are
aglycones. Compounds 2,4,5,8,9and 12– 15 are flavonols; the
first two are glycosides and the others are aglycones. Compound
11 is a flavonone. An important chemical characteristic of the
propolis samples analyzed are chalcones: among the constituents
detected in the samples analyzed, four (7,10,16 and 17) corre-
spond to this flavonoid category. Compound 17 is apparently the
wileyonlinelibrary.com/jsfa © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry J Sci Food Agric 2017; 97: 3552 –3558
3555
New propolis type from north-east Brazil www.soci.org
Figure 1. HPLC chromatograms of ethanol extracts of shoot apices of ‘jurema-preta’ [Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir., Leguminosae, Mimosoideae] and
propolis samples from two localities of Rio Grande do Norte (north-east Brazil).
most abundant constituent of both propolis samples analyzed
(Fig. 1).
DISCUSSION
Standard chemical parameters and antioxidant activity
RN green propolis has organoleptic and physical characteristics
distinct from other types of Brazilian propolis. The chemical param-
eters regarding the contents of wax, soluble residue, total phenolic
substances and total flavonoids comply with the TRPIQ standards
of quality. The data in Table 1 indicate that the two proplis samples
have highly positive standard chemical characteristics, such as
a low wax content and a high content of phenolic substances
(corresponding to approximately 25% of the soluble solids) and a
high flavonoid content (approximately 70% of the total phenolic
substances). Contents in the range 88– 126 g kg−1and 8 –27 g kg−1
of total phenolic substances and flavonoids, respectively, have
been reported for south-east Brazilian green propolis.11 These
values are lower than the respective data from RN propolis
(Table 1). The wax contents reported for south-east Brazilian green
propolis (46 –78 g kg−1)11 are similar to the data of Table 1.
Among the constituents of propolis, most compounds with bio-
logical activity are phenolic substances. For example, pinocembrin
(constituent of European propolis) is active toward a diversity of
biological effects.24 Chrysin is a relevant biologically active flavone
from Chinese propolis.25 Regarding the phenylpropanoids from
J Sci Food Agric 2017; 97: 3552–3558 © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry wileyonlinelibrary.com/jsfa
3556
www.soci.org JM Ferreira et al.
Table 3. Distribution of phenolic substances in apices of ‘jurema-preta’ [Mimosa tenuiflora (Wild.) Poir., Leguminosae, Mimosoideae] and propolis samples from Afonso Bezerra (Af. Bez.) and Alto do
Rodrigues (Alt. Rodr.), two municipalities from the state Rio Grande do Norte (north-east Brazil), as characterized by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS analysisorcomparisonwithstandard
Compound number Rt UV (nm) MS−(m/z,%) MS
+(m/z, %) Proposed characterization Reference/standard used
121.2 197 [M-H]−Trihydroxy-dihydrocinnamic acid 19,20
223.8 260, 300 sh, 355 539 [M-H]−1, 521 (10), 387 (100) Pentahydroxy-flavone-malonyl gallate 19,20
324.7 270, 335 577 [M-H]−Violanthin 21
425.6 255, 370 463 [M-H]−Myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside 19,20
527.5 255, 355 629 [M-H]−Isorhamnetin-3-O-glucosylgallate 19,20
629.9 270, 340 369 [M-H]−Prenyl-pentahydroxy-flavone –*
731.9 255, 370 285 [M-H]−287 [M +H]+, 167 Dihydroxy-methoxy chalcone 17 –19,22
833.9 260, 365 303 [M-H]−, 183 301 [M +H]+Quercetin Standard
935.1 260, 365 315 [M-H]−339 [M +Na]+, 317 [M +H]+, 302 (40) Quercetin-methyl ether 19,20
10 38.1 270, 365 315 [M-H]−339 [M +Na]+, 317 [M +H]+, 197 (100) Trihydroxy-dimethoxy chalcone 17–19,22
11 39.3 270, 340 285 [M-H]−287 [M +H]+, 167 Dihydroxy-methoxy flavanone 19,20
12 40.02 260, 360 299 [M-H]−323 [M +Na]+, 301 [M +H]+, 286 Kaempferol-methyl ether 19,20
13 41.9 250, 270sh, 355 329 [M-H]−353 [M +Na]+, 331 [M +H]+, 316 Quercetin-dimethyl ether 19,20
14 43.2 255, 355 313 [M-H]−337 [M +Na]+, 315 [M +H]+, 300 (60), 282 (100) Kaempferol-dimethyl ether 19,20
15 48.6 255, 355 329 [M-H]−353 [M +Na]+, 331 [M +H]+Quercetin dimethyl ether 19,20
16 52.4 370 269 [M-H]−271 [M +H]+, 161 (100), 137 (70) Methoxy-dihydroxychalcone 17 –19,22
17 53.9 370 299 [M-H]−301 [M +H]+, 167 Dimethoxy-dihydroxychalcone 17–19,22
18 55.0 270, 340 343 [M-H]−367 [M +Na]+, 345 [M +H]+, 345 Dihydroxy-trimethoxyflavone 17 –19,22
*Tentative characterization based on UV spectrum and molecular ion. Rt, retention time.
wileyonlinelibrary.com/jsfa © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry J Sci Food Agric 2017; 97: 3552 –3558
3557
New propolis type from north-east Brazil www.soci.org
propolis, a high diversity of effects has been attributed to caffeic
acid phenethyl ester from European propolis26 and artepillin
C from Brazilian green propolis.2Flavonoids and other propo-
lis phenolic constituents are strong antioxidant substances.27
The chemistry of Bolivian propolis comprises two patterns:
either highly phenolic or highly triterpenoidal. The former have
high antioxidant and antibacterial activities, whereas the latter
are weakly active.20 Similar results were obtained for Brazilian
propolis.27 Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxi-
dant, cytotoxic, antitumoral and chemopreventive activities of
chalcones have been recognized.28–32
Taking these comments into consideration, the results of the
present study indicate that the green RN propolis is a promising
apicultural product, with a low content of wax and a high content
of phenolic substances, mostly chalcones and other flavonoids
(Table 1). Accordingly, the two samples possess high antioxidant
activity (Table 2). The product from Afonso Bezerra has a lower
wax and higher flavonoid content (Table 1), as well as a higher
radical scavenging activity (Table 2), than the sample from Alto do
Rodrigues.
Chemical constituents and botanical origin
A peculiarity of the chemical profile of the samples analyzed is
the relatively high content of chalcones. Such metabolites are
biosynthetic precursors of other flavonoid classes. However, they
rarely accumulate in plant tissues. In particular, dihydrochalcones
are uncommon in natural sources.32 Frequent resin sources for
propolis are Leguminosae species, such as ‘jurema-preta’ (present
work) and Acacia paradoxa (Leguminosae, Mimosoideae).33
Chemical analyses are crucial for determination of the botani-
cal origin of propolis.34 The similarity of the chromatograms of the
propolis and plant apices shown in Fig. 1 is strong evidence indicat-
ing that ‘jurema-preta’ is a major resin source of RN green propolis.
Both the botanical origin and chemical composition set apart the
green propolis analyzed in the present study from all other types of
Brazilian propolis. Screenings aiming to characterize propolis from
distinct regions of Brazil have reported no chemical profiles similar
to RN propolis.7,35
In Brazil, M. tenuiflora occurs in most states of the drought poly-
gon and in Minas Gerais (south-east). Outside Brazil, it occurs in
Venezuela, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama
and southern Mexico.36 ‘Jurema-preta’ has been used in ritu-
als by native Brazilian indians.37 The bark of ‘jurema-preta’ is
the main ingredient of jurema-wine, a psychedelic drink used in
Afro-Brazilian rituals and entheogen cults.38,39 The main active
substance in ‘jurema-preta’ bark is dimethyltryptamine.40 How-
ever, nitrogen-containing compounds were not detected in either
the apices or the propolis extracts (Table 3). ‘Jurema-preta’ has
been reported to have toxic effects in bovines, sheep and goats,41
although its pollen is nontoxic to A. mellifera and is a relevant
resource in the Brazilian semi-arid for honeybee nourishment.42
Taking into consideration the biological activity of flavonoids,
including chalcones, the results of the present study suggest that
RN green propolis has promising prospects in the apicultural
market. The implementation of actions aiming to stimulate the
production of propolis in RN might afford benefits to the local
economy, particularly during the harsher dry seasons.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The presente work was supported by FAPESP (grants 2013/07308-0
and 2013/21813-0). AS is research fellow of CNPq (Conselho
Nacional do Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brazil).
REFERENCES
1 Burdock GA, Review of the biological properties and toxicicty of bee
propolis (propolis). Food Chem Toxicol 36:347 –363 (1998).
2 Salatino A, Fernandes-Silva CC, Righi AA and Salatino MLF, Propo-
lis research and the chemistry of plant products. Nat Prod Rep
28:925– 936 (2011).
3 Sforcin JM and Bankova V, Propolis: is there a potential for the devel-
opment of new drugs? J Ethnopharmac133:253–260 (2011).
4 Salatino A, Teixeira EW, Negri G and Message D, Origin and chemical
variation of Brazilian propolis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
2:33– 38 (2005).
5 Teixeira EW, Negri G, Meira RMSA, Message D and Salatino A, Plant ori-
gin of green propolis: bee behavior, plant anatomy and chemistry.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2:85 –92 (2005).
6 Silva BB, Rosalen PL, Cury JA, Ikegaki M, Souza VC, Esteves A et al.,
Chemical composition and botanical origin of red propolis, a new
type of Brazilian propolis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
5:313– 316 (2008).
7 Righi AA, Negri G and Salatino A, Comparative chemistry of propolis
from eight Brazilian localities. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
2013:267878 (2013).
8 Albuquerque IL, Alves LA, Lemos TLG, Monte FJQ and Braz Filho R,
Canaric acid (3,4-seco-lupane derivative) isolated from propolis of
Ceará. Quimica Nova 30:828– 831 (2007).
9 Crocitti JJ and Vallance MM, Brazil Today. ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara
(2012).
10 Alves J, Históriadassecas, 2nd edn. Fundação Guimarães Duque/ESAM,
Mossoró (1982).
11 Woisky RG and Salatino A, Analysis of propolis: some parameters
and procedures for chemical quality control. J Apic Res 37:99–105
(1998).
12 Righi AA, Negri G, Marques LM, Breyer H and Salatino A, Brazilian
red propolis: unreported substances, antioxidant and antimicrobial
activities. J Sci Food Agric 91:2363–2370 (2010).
13 Sun LP, Chen AL, Hung HC, Chien YH, Huang JS, Huang CY et al.,
Chrysin: a histone deacetylase 8 inhibitor with anticancer activity
and a suitable candidate for the standardization of Chinese propolis.
J Agric Food Chem 60:11748– 11758 (2012).
14 Markham KR, Techniques of Flavonoid Identification. Academic Press,
London (1982).
15 Abad-Garcia B, Berrueta LA, Garmon-Lobato S, Gallo B and Vicente
F, A general analytical strategy for the characterization of phe-
nolic compounds in fruit juices by high-performance liquid chro-
matography with diode array de tection coupled to electrospray i on-
ization and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A
28:5398– 5415 (2009).
16 Engels C, Gräter D, Esquivel P, Jiménez VM, Gänzle MG and Schieber A,
Characterization of phenolic compounds in jocote (Spondias
purpurea L.) peels by ultra high-performance liquid chro-
matograpgy/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Food
Res Int 46:557 –562 (2012).
17 Portet B, Fabre N, Rozenberg R, Habib-Jiwan JL, Moulis C and
Quetin-Leclercq J, Analysis of minor flavonoids in Piper host-
mannianum var. berbicense using liquid chromatography coupled
with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry.
J Chromat A 1210:45 –54 (2008).
18 Zhang JY, Che YY, Zhang Y, Liang SX, Zhao YJ and Tu PF, Characteriza-
tion of seventy polymethoxylated flavonoids (PMFs) in the leaves of
Murraya paniculata by on-line high-performance liquid chromatog-
raphy coupled to photodiode array detection and electrospray tan-
dem mass spectrometry. J Pharm Biomed Anal 56:950 –961 (2011).
19 Kurek-Gorecka A, Rzepecka-Stojko A, Gorecki M, Stojko J, Sosada
M and Swierczek-Zieba G, Structure and antioxidant activity of
polyphenols derived from propolis. Molecules 19:78– 101 (2014).
20 Nina N, Quispe C, Jimenez-Aspee F, Theoduloz C, Gimenez A and
Schmeda-Hirschmann G, Chemical profiling and antioxidant activ-
ity of Bolivian propolis. J Sci Food Agricult 96:2142–2153 (2016).
21 Vukics V, Toth BH, Ringer T, Ludanyi K, Kery A, Bonn GK et al.,Quanti-
tative and qualitative investigation of the main flavonoids in heart-
sease (Viola tricolor L.). J Chromatogr Sci 46:97– 101 (2008).
22 Popova M, Bankova V, Spassov S, Tsvetkova I, Naydenski C, Silva
MV et al., New bioactive chalcones in propolis from El Salvador. Z
Naturforsch C 56:593 –596 (2001).
23 Regulamento Técnico para Fixação de Identidade e Qualidade de
Própolis, Portaria n. 3, Instrução Normativa n. 3, 19/01/2001.Min-
istério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, Brasília (2001).
J Sci Food Agric 2017; 97: 3552–3558 © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry wileyonlinelibrary.com/jsfa
3558
www.soci.org JM Ferreira et al.
24 LiuR,WuC,ZhouD,YangF,TianSandZhangL,Pinocembrinprotects
against 𝛽-amyloid-induced toxicity in neurons through inhibiting
receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE)-independent
signaling pathways and regulating mitochondrion-mediated apop-
tosis. BMC Med 10:105 (2012).
25 Sun LP, Chen AL, Hung HC, Chien YH, Huang JS, Huang CY et al.,
Chrysin: a histone deacetylase 8 inhibitor with anticancer activity
and a suitable candidate for the standardization of Chinese propolis.
J Agric Food Chem 60:11748– 11758 (2012).
26 Tolba MF, Azab SS, Khalifa AE, Abdel-Rahman SZ and Abdel-Naim
AB, Caffeic acid phenethyl ester, a promising component
of propolis with a plethora of biological activities: a review
on its anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, hepatoprotec-
tive, and cardioprotective effects. IUBMB Life 65:699 – 709
(2013).
27 Teixeira EW, Message D, Negri G, Salatino A and Stringheta PC, Sea-
sonal variation, chemical composition and antioxidant activity of
Brazilian propolis samples. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
7:307– 315 (2010).
28 Ni LM, Meng DQ and Sikorski JA, Recent advances in therapeutic
chalcones. Expert Opin Ther Patents 14:1669 –1691 (2004).
29 Sahu NK, Balbhadra SS, Choudhary J and Kohli DV, Exploring pharma-
cological significance of chalcone scaffold: a review. Curr Med Chem
19:209– 225 (2012).
30 Singh P, Anand A and Kumar V, Recent developments in biological
activities of chalcones: a mini review. Eur J Med Chem 85:758 – 777
(2014).
31 Rozmer Z and Perjesi P, Naturally occurring chalcones and their bio-
logical activities. Phytochem Rev 15:87 –120 (2016).
32 Awouafack MD, Tane P, Spiteller M and Eloff JN, Eriosema (Fabaceae)
species represent a rich source of flavonoids with interesting
pharmacological activities. Nat Prod Commun 10:1325– 1330
(2015).
33 Tran VH, Duke RK, Abu-Mellal A and Duke CC, Propolis with high
flavonoid content collected by honey bees from Acacia paradoxa.
Phytochemistry 81:126–132 (2012).
34 Bankova V, Castro SL and Marcucci MC, Propolis: recent advances in
chemistry and plant origin. Apidologie 31:3 –15 (2000).
35 Fernandes-Silva CC, Salatino A and Salatino MLF, Chemical profiling of
six samples of Brazilian propolis. Quim Nova 36:237–240 (2013).
36 US National Plant Germplasm System, Taxo n: Mimosa tenuiflora
(Willd.) Poir (2003). [Online]. Available: https://npgsweb.ars-grin
.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?24430 [28 July 2016].
37 Souza RSO, Ulysses PA, Albuquerque UP, Monteiro JM and Amorim
ELC, Jurema-preta (Mimosa tenuiflora [Wild.] Poir.): a review of its
traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacology. Braz Arch Bio
Techn 51:937 –947 (2008).
38 Albuquerque UP, Medeiros PM, Almeida ALS, Monteiro JM, Lins-Neto
EMF, Melo JG et al., Medicinal plants of the caatinga (semi-arid)
vegetation of NE Brazil: a quantitative approach. J Ethnopharmacol
114:325– 354 (2007).
39 Gaujac A, Martinez ST, Gomes AA, Andrade SJ, Pinto AC, David JM
et al., Application of analytical methods for the structural character-
ization an purity assessment of N,N-dimethyltryptamine, a potent
psychedelic agent isolated from Mimosa tenuiflora inner barks.
Microchem J 109:78– 83 (2013).
40 Gaujac A, Aquino A, Navickiene S and Andrade JB, Determination
of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in Mimosa tenuiflora inner barks by
matrix solid-phase dispersion procedure and GC-MS. J Chromat B
881/882:107– 110 (2012).
41 Bezerra CWC, Medeiros RMT, Rivero BRC, Dantas AFM and Amaral
FRC, Plant poisoning in ruminants and horses in Southern Ceara,
Northeastern Brazil. Cienc Rural 42:1070 –1076 (2012).
42 Silva CV, Mesquita LX, Maracaja PB and Soto-Blanco B, Toxicity of
Mimosa tenuiflora pollen to Africanized honey bees (Apis melífera L.).
Acta Sci Vet 38:161 –163 (2010).
wileyonlinelibrary.com/jsfa © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry J Sci Food Agric 2017; 97: 3552 –3558
