Argentine propolis: flavonoid and chalcone content and its relation with the functional properties

Abstract

In recent years there has been a renewed interest in Argentina about the chemical composition and biological properties of Argentinean propolis, a resinous material collected by the honey bee that can be regarded as a potential natural source of bioactivity in folk medicine and in the food industry. Argentina has a diverse climate that is evidenced in multiple phytogeographical regions. Hence, propolis from the Northwest, West, Center and South of Argentina would have different chemical compositions and consequently, different biological properties. Furthermore, propolis quality is intimately related to harvesting time and methods, and storage tasks performed by the beekeper. Various studies have shown that the propolis from Argentina contains a high level of polyphenolic compounds, principally, flavonoids and its derivates, phenolic acid and lignans. Antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, free radical scavenging and antimutagenic activities were demonstrated in propolis from different Argentinean regions (provinces of Catamarca, Chaco, Entre Rios, Jujuy, Mendoza, Misiones, Rio Negro, Salta, San Juan, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán). It has recently been reported that the chemical components responsible for some of the functional properties of Argentinean Northwest propolis are flavonoids, principally chalcones and flavones, with different degrees of hydroxylation and methoxylation while the principal bioactive components in the propolis from the province of San Juan are lignans and flavonoids. The findings on the bioactivity and chemical composition of Argentinean propolis support its potential use in functional food and complementary medicine.