ANALYSIS OF PROPOLIS - SOME PARAMETERS AND PROCEDURES FOR CHEMICAL-QUALITY CONTROL

A set of parameters and respective procedures for the establishment of chemical profiles of samples of tinctures and crude propolis is prese nted. It is proposed that estimations of the content of total phenolic substances, flavonoids, waxes, ash, volatile substances and dry resid ue be used as parameters to characterize samples of crude propolis. Fo r tinctures, the estimations of total phenolic substances, flavonoids, waxes, specific gravity and ethanol are proposed. Total phenolic subs tances and flavonoids are measured by spectrophotometric methods, waxe s gravimetrically and ethanol by gas chromatography. The accuracy of t he spectrophotometric procedures was tested by assaying a mixture with a known composition of phenolic acids and flavonoids. The use of the procedures is exemplified by the analyses of six samples of crude prop olis from different localities in Brazil and of tinctures prepared wit h absolute and 70% aqueous ethanol. The contents of total phenolic sub stances, flavonoids, waxes and volatile compounds of the samples analy sed are relatively low in comparison with data from the literature. Sa mples of propolis from nearby localities may have quite different chem ical profiles. Compared with absolute ethanol, extraction with aqueous ethanol results in wax-free tinctures, containing higher amounts of p henolic substances.