PHYSICO CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PROPOLIS COLLECTED IN

Propolis is a very valuable bee product due to its antioxidant, bacteriostatic, antifungal and therapeutical properties which are related to the content of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. In this work, physico chemical characteristics and some active compounds of 42 samples collected in different phytogeographical regions of Santa Fe (Ar gentine) were measured. Hexane extractable substances ranged between 14.3 and 46.2%, insoluble residues between 18.0 and 22.4%; resins soluble in ethanol between 26.6 and 75.8%, phenolic compounds between 11.3 and 38.0%,loss by heating between 1.4 and 6.2% and ash between 1.8 and 2.4%. Concentrations corresponding to phenolic and flavonoid compounds obtained by HPLC show the prevalence of pinocembrin, crisine, galangine and quercetine. The propolis differed mainly in the presence of phenolic compounds being significantly largest in pampeana area propolis samples where the plant species are in the families mirthaceas and salicaceas.