Analysis of the composition profile, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial properties of geopropolis samples from Melipona scutellaris colonies
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Samples of geopropolis from Melipona scutellaris colonies, coming from two regions of Brazil and harvested during different seasons were evaluated regarding their yield, composition profile, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. All the samples presented low yield after alcoholic extraction by maceration method. Through direct insertion in Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS fingerprinting), no expressive difference was observed in the composition profile of samples from different regions of Brazil, but it was noted that possibly the harvest time and storage period were relevant in regard to its final composition. Through the DPPH method, it was demonstrated that all the samples have a great antioxidant capacity, with similar activity to the one found by the propolis obtained from species Apis mellifera. The results of the diffusion assay show that the geopropolis did not inhibit the growth of the K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa and E. coli microorganisms, but showed antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and S. epidermitis, suggesting that this geopropolis is more effective against Gram-positive bacteria. Further studies will be necessary to determine the precise composition of the samples. These results support that geopropolis from Melipona scutellaris colonies has great potential as a source of bioactive substances that can serve as basis for the development of new drugs and therapies in the future.