BACKGROUND:

Propolis has been considered a highly valuable material due to its therapeutic properties. However, in Colombia, the commercialization of propolis is limited not only by low production but also by the little knowledge about its efficient extraction. Therefore, finding an optimal and economical extraction method to obtain propolis is a necessity for beekeepers that would open new possibilities for industrial use and, therefore, for the market.

OBJECTIVES:

The objective of this study was to evaluate a conventional and ultrasound-assisted extraction method, seeking to obtain the highest yield and a high amount of content of bioactive compounds in propolis extracts.

METHODS:

The extraction was carried out for three crude propolis from different types of bees: Tetragonisca angustula or Angelita (ANG), Melipona eburnea or Melipona (MEL), and Scaptotrigona spp (SCT). The extracts were characterized by color, pH, visual appearance, solid content, antioxidant capacity, total polyphenol content, and bacterial inhibition capacity.

RESULTS:

The highest extraction performance was obtained when the ultrasound-assisted method was used, especially for the ANG extract, which in addition to presenting inhibition for gram-negative (E. coli) and gram-positive (S. Aureus) bacteria, had the best antioxidant activity with a value of 545 mg GAE / 100 g of sample and total polyphenol content of 1,884 mg GAE / 100 g of sample.

CONCLUSIONS:

Ultrasound-assisted extraction can be considered a low-cost alternative to increase the extraction performance of crude propolis, together with its total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity, without altering its physical properties.

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