Abstract

ALENCAR, Severino Matias de; AGUIAR, Cláudio Lima de; PAREDES-GUZMAN, Julio  and  PARK, Yong Kun. Chemical composition of Baccharis dracunculifolia, the botanical source of propolis from the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, Brazil. Cienc. Rural [online]. 2005, vol.35, n.4, pp. 909-915. ISSN 0103-8478.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0103-84782005000400025.

Propolis is a resinous hive product COLLected by honeybees from plant sources. The composition of the propolis depends upon the season, vegetation, and the area of COLLection. Phytochemical analyses of propolis produced from Baccharis dracunculifolia (alecrim-do-campo) in the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais by africanized - were done by RP-HPTLC, RP-HPLC and GC-MS, and the absorption spectra was measured by UV-visible spectrophotometry. A distinctive characteristic of propolis and B. dracunculifolia was that both had a high proportion of the phenolic compounds artepillin C and others dihydrocinnamic acid derivatives. Based on phytochemical evidence, B. dracunculifolia was found to be the main source of propolis produced in the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais.

Keywords : propolis; Baccharis dracunculifolia; botanical origin; phenolic compounds.