Antioxidant activity of propolis

Abstract

Propolis is a resinous substance collected by bees from many parts of plants and mixed with wax, pollen and salivary secretions. Its composition is complex and closely related to the vegetation features of each region. Thirty-three propolis samples were collected from four Brazilian regions (Northeast, Southeast, South and Central-West) and had their antioxidant activity analyzed by the connected oxidation of b-carotene/linoleic acid. A significant variation was observed for the antioxidant activity (51.33-92.70%), according to the region where the sample was collected. The antioxidant activity of propolis samples collected in the Northeast region was lower than those collected in the Central-West, South and Southeast regions, respectively.

Keywords

• Apis mellifera L.
• b-carotene
• linoleic acid