Phytochemical composition and bio-functional properties of Apis mellifera propolis from Kenya

There is an increased demand for natural products like propolis, yet little information is available about the chemical composition of African propolis and its bio-functional properties. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to quantify the phytochemicals and determine the antioxidant and antimicrobial...

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Published inRoyal Society open science Vol. 9; no. 7; p. 211214
Main Authors Kegode, Timothy M, Bargul, Joel L, Mokaya, Hosea O, Lattorff, H Michael G
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England The Royal Society 27.07.2022
Subjects
alkaloids
Chemistry
DPPH
flavonoids
phenols
terpenoids
phenols
terpenoids
DPPH
flavonoids
alkaloids
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Summary:There is an increased demand for natural products like propolis, yet little information is available about the chemical composition of African propolis and its bio-functional properties. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to quantify the phytochemicals and determine the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of propolis ( = 59) sourced from various regions in Kenya. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the sampling region had a remarkable impact on the propolis's composition and bio-functional properties. Generally, the propolis contained high amounts of phytochemicals, particularly alkaloids (5.76 g CE/100 g) and phenols (2.24 g GAE/100 g). Furthermore, analysis of propolis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed various compounds with varying bio-functional activities. These compounds included triterpenoids alpha- and beta-amyrin, oleanen-3-yl-acetate, urs-12-en-24-oic acid, lanosta-8,24-dien-3-one, and hydrocarbons tricosane and nondecane, which have been reported to have either antimicrobial or antioxidant activities. The propolis samples collected from hotter climatic conditions contained a higher composition of phytochemicals, and additionally, they displayed higher antioxidant and antimicrobial activities than those obtained from cooler climatic conditions. Key findings of this study demonstrate the occurrence of relatively high phytochemical content in Kenya's propolis, which has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties; hence this potential could be harnessed for disease control.
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Present address: University of Nairobi, PO Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
Electronic supplementary material is available online at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6080792.
This article has been edited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, including the commissioning, peer review process and editorial aspects up to the point of acceptance.
ISSN:2054-5703
2054-5703
DOI:10.1098/rsos.211214