Apidologie 34 (2003) 291-298
DOI: 10.1051/apido:2003023

Comparison of propolis from Apis mellifera and Tetragonisca angustula

Alberto dos Santos Pereira^a, Beatriz Bicalho^b and Francisco Radler de Aquino Neto<sup>a

a</sup>  LADETEC, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Ilha do Fundão, CT, Bloco A, Sala 607, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21949-900, Brazil
^b  Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil

(Received 12 August 2002; revised 24 October 2002; accepted 22 November 2002)

Abstract
High-temperature high-resolution gas chromatography (HT-HRGC) and HT-HRGC coupled to mass spectrometry (HT-HRGC-MS) were applied to the study of propolis collected by Apis mellifera and by Tetragonisca angustula, a stingless bee native to southeastern Brazil. With the exception of amino acids and erytrose/erythritol content, both propolis samples were quite similar in composition and in antimicrobial activity. Triterpenes were the most abundant compounds in the samples, comprising more then 35% of the total amount of each sample.

Key words: propolis / Apis mellifera / Tetragonisca angustula

Correspondence and reprints: Alberto dos Santos Pereira
    e-mail: ladetec@iq.ufrj.br

© INRA, EDP Sciences, DIB, AGIB 2003