& This paper illustrates the composition of propolis samples obtained from two regions in the Slovak Republic and focuses on the determination of coumarins. The HPLC method with on-line spectrophotometric and fluorescent detection was used for the separation and the determination of coumarins from the subgroup of simple coumarins (esculin, daphnetin, fraxetin, umbelliferone, 4-methylumbelliferone, 4-hydroxycoumarin, scoparone, coumarin, herniarin) and cinnamyl alcohol. The results confirmed that the quantity of umbelliferone, 4-methylumbelliferone, and scoparone in the propolis depends on the area of collection. The HPLC results were compared with those obtained by the spectrofluorimetric method developed for the determination of total coumarins (calculated as scoparone). For the quantification of total coumarins in propolis extracts we found 15% higher values of coumarin content by fluorescence spectrometry than by HPLC, which can be ascribed to the higher matrix effects on fluorescence spectra.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.