HPTLC, UPLC-TOF-MS/MS chemoprofiling and chemometric assessment of South African propolis

• Published in: Planta Medica
• Main Authors: Kasote, D, Suleman, T, Chen, W, Sandasi, M, Viljoen, A, van Vuuren, S
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: 14.07.2014
• ISSN: 0032-0943; 1439-0221
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1382642

Propolis is a resinous material produced by honeybees and is mostly composed of beeswax and plant exudates. Propolis is an important therapeutic and health-promoting agent, and has become very popular due to its wide range of bioactivities. South African propolis has been reported to exhibit anti-oxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities, however, little known about its chemistry. Some studies based on a few random samples showed that South African propolis is similar to propolis produced in the temperate regions. However, at present, there is no comprehensive study available on the chemistry of South African propolis from various provenances. Hence, in this study we developed high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS) fingerprint and profiles of 39 propolis samples collected from various regions of the country. UPLC-ESI-MS data was chemometrically analysed to observe possible geographical patterns and to compare South African propolis to Brazilian propolis samples (n = 3). The fingerprinting and chemical profiles of South African propolis samples were distinct from Brazilian samples. Fifteen major phenolic acids and flavonols from common South African propolis were identified from UPLC-PDA-qTOF-MS/MS data. Chemometric analysis of the UPLC-ESI-MS data revealed two distinct clusters among the South African samples and also confirmed that the South African propolis was chemically distinct from the Brazilian propolis. The majority of the samples were phytochemically congruent with propolis from the temperate regions.