Direct evidence for the plant origin of Brazilian propolis by the observation of honeybee behavior and phytochemical analysis.
To identify the plant origin of Brazilian propolis directly, we observed the behavior of honeybees in Minas Gerais State of Brazil. Honeybee workers bit and chewed leaves of the plant, Baccharis dracunculifolia, packed the material into their pollen basket, brought it back to their nest, and used it as propolis. We collected the leaves of B. dracunculifolia and propolis, and compared their constituents by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis. There was no difference between the chemical constituents of the ethanol extracts of B. dracunculifolia and those of propolis. This indicates directly that the plant origin of Brazilian propolis is B. dracunculifolia.
Kumazawa
Shigenori
S
Laboratory of Functional Food Science and COE Program in the 21st Century, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuioka, Japan. kumazawa@smail.u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp
Yoneda
Masahiro
M
Shibata
Ikoi
I
Kanaeda
Jun
J
Hamasaka
Tomoko
T
Nakayama
Tsutomu
T
D000818:Animals; D031175:Baccharis / Q000737:chemistry*; D001516:Bees / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D011429:Propolis / Q000737:chemistry*
D010936:Plant Extracts; D011429:Propolis