Background: Stingless bees or meliponines (family Apidae, subfamily Meliponinae, tribe Meliponini) are eusocial bees from tropical and subtropical regions. Propolis of Scaptotrigona aff. postica (Latreille, 1807) is used in the state of Maranhão (Northeast Brazil) in ointments to treat tumors and wounds. Samples of propolis of S. aff. postica (Apidae, Meliponini) were collected monthly from an apiary located in Barra do Corda (state of Maranhão, Northeast Brazil). Extracts of the 12 samples were obtained with 80% ethanol. Constituents of the samples were characterized by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array detector and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry analysis, amounting to 100 substances. Results: Representatives of several classes of secondary metabolites were characterized, including benzoic and cinnamic acids, flavonoids (chalcones, flavone-C-glycosides, flavonol aglycones, and glycosides), alkyl and alkenyl resorcinols, xanthones, diterpenes, cycloartane-type triterpenoids, pentacyclic triterpenoids, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and hydroxycinnamic acid amides (HCAAs). Considerable qualitative differences in chemical composition among samples were observed, depending on the year period of collection.Principal Coordinate Analysis recognized three distinct year periods (Jan-Mar, April-Sep, Oct-Dec) according to the corresponding chemical profiles. Conclusion:Compared with previous studies, the present work indicates that considerable differences in chemical composition occur also from year to year. Contrary to most propolis types reported so far, which derive exclusively or mostly from a single botanical source, the propolis from Barra do Corda seemingly depends on several resin sources. It is suggested that chalcones and flavonols stem from Mimosa tenuiflora (Mimosoideae); resorcinols, xanthones, and cycloartane-type triterpenoids, from fruits of Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae); pyrrolizidine alkaloids, possibly from some Crotalaria species (Faboideae); HCAAs probably originate from pollen contaminating the propolis samples.The propolis of S. aff. postica poses challenges and possibilities of study for apicultural researchers, chemists, and pharmacologists.
Stingless bees belonging to the Meliponinae subfamily, are known as meliponines.Scaptotrigona affinis postica Latreille, 1807 from northeast of Brazil is popularly known as 'tubi' in Maranhão State. Scaptotrigona, which is widely distributed in neotropical regions, includes species that build their hives in pre-existing cavities. Flavones di-C-glycosides, and the pyrrolizidine alkaloid 7-(3-methoxy-2methylbutyryl)-9-echimidinylretronecine were reported previously in propolis from S. postica. Fractions 40 AEP and 40 MEP from ethanolic extract were analyzed by LC-MS. The chromatographic profile of fractions 40 AEP and 40 MEP revealed the presence of many pyrrolizidine alkaloids, among them, lithosenine (14), lithosenine arabinoside (19), 7-angeloyl-9-(2,3-dihydroxybutyryl) retronecine (1), 7-(2methylbutyryl) retronecine (3), 9-sarracinoylretronecine (13) and viridinatine (8), besides the flavonoids schaftoside (15), aromadendrin-7-O-methyl ether (12), 7methoxy-5,6,3',4',5',6'-hexahydroxy-flavone-3-O-glucuronide (11), mangiferin (10) and 3-O-methyl mangiferin (17). Fractions 40 AEP and 40 MEP showed antimicrobial activity against Gram negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli D31-streptomycin resistant. Cell viability was expressed in terms of the relative absorbance of treated and untreated cells (control). There was no statistical difference between treated and untreated cells.
The propolis produced by stingless bees of the tribe Meliponini is a viscous product that contains the resin collected from buds, leaves and plant exudates, mixed with salivary secretions, wax and soil. The species Scaptotrigona aff. postica (Latreille, 1807), (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponinae) popularly known as “tubi” in Maranhão State, Brazil, does not mix soil to produce its propolis. The propolis from S. postica harvested in Barra do Corda, Maranhão State, is popularly used in the treatment of wounds and respiratory illnesses. The hydroalcoholic extract of this propolis, rich in flavone-6,8-di-C-glycosides (vicenin-2 and schaftoside), pyrrolizidine alkaloids derived from retronecine, catechin and caffeoylquinic acid derivatives exhibited antiviral activity against the herpes simplex and rubella viruses. The aim of this study was to increase knowledge about the chemical composition of the S. postica propolis by analyzing non-polar extracts obtained using hexane and chloroform as the solvents, by GC-EI-MS. A total of 15 constituents were identified comparing their respective mass spectral data with those available in the NIST data bases and those reported in the literature. The main constituents detected were the phenolic lipids, known as cardanols, 3-(4,7-heptadecadienyl) phenol (5), 3-(10-heptadecenyl) phenol (7), 3-heptadecylphenol (9) and 3-pentadecyl phenol or hydrocardanol (13), which predominated in the hexane extract, while the predominant constituents in the chloroform extract were 3-pentadecyl phenol or hydrocardanol (13) and 3-(8-pentadecenyl) phenol (12). The antioxidant, antitumoral, antifeedant, cytotoxic, anticarcinogenic, antiproliferative, antimicrobial, antileishmanial and larvicidal activities of the cardanols have been demonstrated in many studies.
Stingless bees belonging to the Meliponinae subfamily, are known as meliponines. Scaptotrigona affinis postica Latreille, 1807 from northeast of Brazil is popularly known as tubi in Maranhao State. Scaptotrigona, which is widely distributed in neotropical regions, includes species that build their hives in pre-existing cavities. Flavones di-C-glycosides, and the pyrrolizidine alkaloid 7-(3-methoxy-2-methylbutyryl)-9-echimidinylretronecine were reported previously in propolis from S. postica. Fractions 40 AEP and 40 MEP from ethanolic extract were analyzed by LC-MS. The chromatographic profile of fractions 40 AEP and 40 MEP revealed the presence of many pyrrolizidine alkaloids, among them, lithosenine (14), lithosenine arabinoside (19), 7-angeloyl-9-(2,3-dihydroxybutyryl) retronecine (1), 7-(2-methylbutyryl) retronecine (3), 9-sarracinoylretronecine (13) and viridinatine (8), besides the flavonoids schaftoside (15), aromadendrin-7-O-methyl ether (12), 7-methoxy-5,6,3,4,5,6-hexahydroxy-flavone-3-O-glucuronide (11), mangiferin (10) and 3-O-methyl mangiferin (17). Fractions 40 AEP and 40 MEP showed antimicrobial activity against Gram positive bacteria, including Escherichia coli D31- streptomycin resistant. Cell viability was expressed in terms of the relative absorbance of treated and untreated cells (control). There was no statistical difference between treated and untreated cells.
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