Determination of physicochemical characteristics and bioactive compounds in samples of pollen, geopropolis and honey from Melipona Scutellaris bee species

Abstract

The interest in other products from the meliponids, such as pollen and the geopropolis, has provided a growing demand in the market due to their chemical composition and pharmacological activities. This study aimed to determine the physicochemical characteristics and bioactive compounds in honey, geopropolis and pollen of the bee species-Melipona scutellaris. Moisture, ashes, water activity and pH were evaluated, averaging 25%; 0.25%; 0.724; 5.52 for honey; 4.49%; 73.68%; 0.931; 3.55 for geopropolis and 49.61%; 2.31%; 0.931, 3.55 for pollen, respectively. Regarding the bioactive compounds, total phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids and antioxidant activity (DPPH) were evaluated, with mean values of respectively 243.6 0 mgGAE / 100g; 22.75 mgEQ / 100g; 0.48 mg β-carotene / 100 g; 10.72% for honey, 14.1 0 mgGAE / g; 6.91 mgEQ / g; 1.55 mg β-carotene / g; 43.48% for geopropolis and 21.21 mgGAE / g; 8.52 mgEQ / g; 3.62 mg β-carotene / g and 45.92% for pollen. It is concluded that variations of these parameters suffer influence of flowering season, geographic location and bee type.

Melipona scutellaris Geopropolis: Chemical Composition and Bioactivity

“…However, it is important to note that pH can vary with the origin of geopropolis and even within the same bee colony. Although this parameter has not been contemplated in the legislation, the values obtained in our study corroborate those described by da Silva Cruz et al [2]. According to this researcher, pH is one of the main factors responsible for the stability of this product, as it influences the multiplication of its microbiota.…”

“…This municipality is located on the BR-110 highway between Salvador and Alagoinhas in the state of Bahia, Northeast Brazil. The state of Bahia has about 564,733.081 km 2 , with 417 municipalities, occupying approximately 36.4% of the Northeast region [12].…”

“…Concerning moisture, the values obtained in our study were identical to those reported by Araújo et al [37] for Melipona scutellaris and M. fasciculata species (1.40% to 1.76%), suggesting that the moisture content of stingless bees is low. Indeed, da Silva Cruz et al [2] found that the moisture content of geopropolis was six and eleven times lower than those of honey and pollen produced by M. scutellaris, respectively.…”

“…As a result, geopropolis has a powdery texture, an earthy aroma, and a higher mineral content [1]. The chemical composition of propolis and geopropolis is highly complex and influenced by various factors, including geographic origin, the available plant sources for the bees, bee species, Microorganisms 2023, 11, 2779 2 of 18 and soil type [1,2]. Brazil, being a megadiverse country with multiple geomorphological and climatic conditions, harbors more than 200 species, with around 20% of them being endemic [3].…”

“…These variables contribute to the existence of numerous types of geopropolis and propolis, each with a chemical composition that is both qualitatively and quantitatively unique [4][5][6]. These substances typically contain phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, hydrolysable tannins, triterpenes, saponins, alkaloids, lipids, and other compounds [1,2,4,[6][7][8], which are associated with biological activities such as antioxidant [6][7][8][9], anti-inflammatory [6,9], antimicrobial [6,9] and anticancer [6,10] activities. Geopropolis is undoubtedly a great source of molecules with different biological properties, being used in traditional medicine of different peoples, and there are possibilities for new discoveries, with the search for phenolic compounds being the most promising [11].…”