Brazilian southeast brown propolis: gas chromatography method development for its volatile oil analysis, its...

Propolis is widely used in folk medicine, and many factors can affect its chemical composition, including abiotic factors that can influence plants and bees. Therefore, analytical methods are powerful techniques in the quality control of such products.

Develop and validate an analytical method for quantifying volatile compounds in Brazilian brown propolis, and evaluate its biological activities.

A gas chromatography flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) analytical method was validated, attending the parameters of international validation guidelines as ANVISA 2017 and ICH 2005, for quantification of compounds present in volatile oils from propolis. Evaluation of cytotoxic, antimicrobial, and leishmanicidal activities of the oil.

The compounds 1,8-cineole, terpinen-4-ol, α-copaene, β-caryophyllene, γ-muurolene, nerolidol, spathulenol, and γ-palmitolactone were isolated from the volatile fraction of a Brazilian brown propolis and used in the method validation. All the validation parameters of the method were satisfactory. The volatile fraction displayed a significant leishmanicidal activity, with half maximal inhibition concentration (IC₅₀ ) = 21.3 μg/mL against amastigote forms and IC₅₀ = 25.1 μg/mL against promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis. The oil also displayed an antibacterial effect by inhibiting the growth of Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus at 25 μg/mL and 50 μg/mL, respectively, but it was not cytotoxic against AGP-01, He-La and CHO-K1cell lines, with IC₅₀ > 100 μg/mL.

The GC-FID method can be a useful tool in the quality control of propolis material. The southeast brown propolis showed a high chemical complexity in its volatile fraction, which displayed leishmanicidal activity and bactericidal activity.