Apidologie 38 (2007) 93-103
DOI: 10.1051/apido:2006058

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry fingerprinting of propolis of native Brazilian stingless bees

Alexandra Christine Helena Frankland Sawaya^a, Ildenize Barbosa da Silva Cunha^b, Maria Cristina Marcucci^c, Davi Said Aidar^d, Etelvina Conceição Almeida Silva^e, Carlos Alfredo Lopes Carvalho^f and Marcos Nogueira Eberlin<sup>a

a</sup>  ThoMon Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Institute of Chemistry, State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
^b  São Francisco University, USF, Bragança Paulista, SP, Brazil
^c  Bandeirante University of São Paulo, UNIBAN, CEP 02071-013 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
^d  College of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Amazonas, CEP 69077-000 Manaus, AM, Brazil
^e  ETRON Apiary, km 13 Rodovia Ilhéus/Itabuna, (Ba 415) Ilhéus, BA, Brazil
^f  Federal University of Recôncavo of Bahia (UFRB), 44380-000 Cruz das Almas, BA, Brazil

(Received 11 April 2006 - Revised 23 June 2006 - Accepted 26 June 2006 - Published online 16 January 2007)

Abstract - Stingless bees are found in many tropical and subtropical regions of the word. The knowledge of the composition of their propolis as well as the plants that are visited as sources of resins is therefore of prime importance. Here the negative ion mode electrospray ionization mass spectrometry [ESI(-)-MS] fingerprints of propolis from various species of native stingless bees from different regions in Brazil are compared to determine their composition patterns. The correlation among the propolis samples was investigated via chemometric analysis.

Key words: ESI-MS fingerprint / propolis / native stingless bees / Brazil

Corresponding author: franksawaya@terra.com.br

© INRA, DIB-AGIB, EDP Sciences 2007