title: A comparison between characterization and biological properties of Brazilian fresh and aged propolis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As propolis is a highly valued bee product, we aimed to verify the quality of aged propolis, investigating their phenolic and flavonoid composition, levels of toxic metals, radical scavenging and antimicrobial activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples of fresh and aged propolis of six different beekeepers, from the same geographical location, were investigated in terms of their phenolic and flavonoid composition and levels of Pb, Cd, and Cr, as well as radical scavenging and antimicrobial activities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two groups of propolis had similar qualitative composition by HPLC-PDA and ESI(-)-MS. Fresh propolis and aged propolis show no differences when average values of extraction yield, flavonoids, EC50, or MIC were compared and both types of propolis showed good antimicrobial activity at low concentrations. Only levels of phenolic compounds were higher in fresh propolis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The propolis samples considered in this study, aged or fresh, had similar qualitative composition, although they were collected in different periods. Samples only differed in their levels of total phenolic content. Moreover, aged propolis conserves significant radical scavenging and antimicrobial properties. We suggest that aged propolis should not be discarded but explored for alternative applications.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Centro Oeste (UNICENTRO), CEDETEG, Rua Simeão Camargo Varela de Sá, 03 Vila Carli, 85040-080 Guarapuava, PR, Brazil ; Laboratório Thomson de Espectrometria de Massas, Departamento de Química Analítica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo Morgado
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Centro Oeste (UNICENTRO), CEDETEG, Rua Simeão Camargo Varela de Sá, 03 Vila Carli, 85040-080 Guarapuava, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stock
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Avenida Augusto Correa No. 1, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabio José Garcia
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Chada
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Centro Oeste (UNICENTRO), CEDETEG, Rua Simeão Camargo Varela de Sá, 03 Vila Carli, 85040-080 Guarapuava, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daiane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Finger
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandra Christine Helena Frankland
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Sawaya
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Thomson de Espectrometria de Massas, Departamento de Química Analítica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Nogueira
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Eberlin
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Centro Oeste (UNICENTRO), CEDETEG, Rua Simeão Camargo Varela de Sá, 03 Vila Carli, 85040-080 Guarapuava, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Lurdes
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Felsner
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Centro Oeste (UNICENTRO), CEDETEG, Rua Simeão Camargo Varela de Sá, 03 Vila Carli, 85040-080 Guarapuava, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sueli Pércio
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Quináia
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Avenida Augusto Correa No. 1, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marta Chagas
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3328-5650
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Centro Oeste (UNICENTRO), CEDETEG, Rua Simeão Camargo Varela de Sá, 03 Vila Carli, 85040-080 Guarapuava, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Yohandra Reyes
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D001516:Bees / Q000737:chemistry; D001938:Brazil; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011429:Propolis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D005419:Flavonoids; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010636:Phenols; D011429:Propolis