Propolis


Propolis is a substance produced from the collected buds or exudates of plants (resin) by bees. The resin is masticated, salivary enzymes are added, and the partially digested material is mixed with beewax and used in the hive to seal the walls, strengthen the borders of combs, and embalm dead invaders. Recently, this product has been the subject of studies highlighting its pharmacological properties, such as the antimicrobial 1,2, anti-oxidative 3, anti-viral 4, anti- tumoral 5,6 or anti-inflammatory 1,2. It has long been known that propolis chemical composition might be strongly influenced by environmental factors peculiar to the sites of collection of a given geographic region of production, as well as by seasoning. The aim of this case study is to gain insights of important features associated to chemical compo- sition, harvest season, and geographic origin of propolis produced in the Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil. The propolis samples used in this study for NMR data analysis were collected in the autumn (AU), winter (WI), spring (SP), and summer (SM) of 2010 from hives located in Santa Catarina state. A total of 59 samples were collected, with the distribution of samples by seasons being: SM - 16 samples, AU and SP - 15 samples, WI - 13 samples. Also, three agroecological regions were defined for the different apiaries, distributed as follows: Highlands - 12 samples, Plain - 11 samples, Plateau - 36 samples.