Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Research Article

Antioxidant Activity of a Geopropolis from Northeast Brazil: Chemical Characterization and Likely Botanical Origin

Table 2

Distribution of constituents of ethanol extracts of geopropolis of Scaptotrigona postica (Meliponini) from the meliponary at the University of Mossoró (state of Rio Grande do Norte, northeast Brazil), as characterized by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS analysis. Data are also given about presence/absence of the constituents in propolis of Apis mellifera from the same area, derived from shoot apices of “jurema-preta” (Mimosa tenuiflora, Leguminosae), according to published data [18].


Compound number	Retention time	UV (nm)	MS⁻ (m/z, %)	MS⁺ (m/z, %)	Proposed characterization	References	Presence/absence in “jurema” propolis

1	35.2	260, 365	301 [M − H]⁻	303 [M + H]⁺	Quercetin	Comparison with standard	+
2	38.2	260, 365	315 [M − H]⁻	339 [M + Na]⁺, 317 [M + H]⁺, 302 (100)	Quercetin methyl ether	[19, 21]	+
3	39.6	270, 365	315 [M − H]⁻	339 [M + Na]⁺, 317 [M + H]⁺, 197 (100)	Trihydroxy-dimethoxy chalcone	[17–19, 22]	+
4	41.0	260, 360	285 [M − H]⁻	287 [M + H]⁺	Kaempferol	Comparison with standard	−
5	42.4	260, 360	299 [M + H]⁻	323 [M + Na]⁺, 301 [M + H]⁺, 286 (100)	Kaempferol methyl ether	[19, 21]	+
6	43.0	250, 270sh, 365	329 [M − H]⁻	353 [M + Na]⁺, 331 [M + H]⁺, 316 (100)	Dihydroxy-trimethoxy chalcone	[19, 21]	+
7	44.4	255, 355	313 [M − H]⁻	337 [M + Na]⁺, 315 [M + H]⁺, 300 (60), 282 (100)	Kaempferol dimethyl ether	[19, 21]	+
8	45.1	370	315 [M − H]⁻	317 [M + H]⁻	Uncharacterized chalcone	—	−
9	45.6	255, 355	329 [M − H]⁻	353 [M + Na]⁺, 331 [M + H]⁺	Quercetin dimethyl ether	[19, 21]	+
10	47.1	255, 355	327 [M − H]⁻	329 [M + H]⁺	Uncharacterized flavonol	—	−
11	48.3	260, 360	271 [M − H]⁻	273 [M + H]⁺	Trihydroxy flavonol	[19, 21]	−
12	50.2	270, 340	329 [M − H]⁻	331 [M + H]⁺	Trihydroxy-dimethoxy flavone	[19, 21]	−
13	52.2	370	269 [M − H]⁻	271 [M + H]⁺, 161 (100), 137 (70)	Methoxy-dihydroxy chalcone	[17–19, 22]	+
14	56.6	370	299 [M − H]⁻	301 [M + H]⁺, 167 (100)	Dimethoxy-dihydroxy chalcone	[17–19, 22]	+
15	58.5	370	313 [M − H]⁻	315 [M + H]⁺	Hydroxy-trimethoxy chalcone	[17–19, 22]	−
16	59.9	270, 340	343 [M − H]⁻	367 [M + Na]⁺, 345 [M + H]⁺	Dihydroxy-trimethoxy flavone	[17–19, 22]	+