Caracterização físico-química e avaliação do potencial antioxidante da própolis de abelhas-sem-ferrão (meliponini) da Amazônia

Abstract

Stingless bees (Apidae, Meliponini) represent the most diverse group of social bees in tropical regions, playing a fundamental ecological role and offering growing economic potential for Amazonian meliponiculture. This study investigated the propolis of seven bee species native to the state of Amazonas, and was structured into two complementary studies. The first study evaluated the antioxidant activity and chemical profile of propolis extracts from five species collected in Manaus: Melipona seminigra, Scaptotrigona polysticta, Scaptotrigona hylaeana sp. nov., Tetragona goettei, and Trigona cilipes.The hydroalcoholic extracts showed yields ranging from 44% to 59%. The species Melipona seminigra stood out with the highest antioxidant activity in both the DPPH (IC50=16.51 ± 0.13 μg/mL) e FRAP (169.1 ± 0.03 g FeSO4.6H2O/100 g sample) assays, as well as the highest total phenolic content (59.18 ± 7.38 g EAG/100 g sample). Analysis by UFLC-HRMS/MS revealed a complex composition including phenolic acids, flavonoids, benzophenones, and lipophilic compounds, confirming the high chemical variability among the species. The second study aimed to characterize the propolis of Duckeola ghilianii and Frieseomelitta longipes regarding their physicochemical aspects, antioxidant potential, and production capacity across different locations (Manaus, Iranduba, and Presidente Figueiredo) and times of the year. The results showed compliance with Brazilian standards (MAPA IN No. 03/2001), with ash content < 5% and loss on drying < 8%. Propolis production proved promising and was influenced by seasonality, with higher yields during the rainy season. Geographic location influenced bioactivity, with samples from Iranduba presenting the highest phenolic content (8.9 g GAE/100 g) and the highest antioxidant capacity via the FRAP method. D. ghilianii stood out for its high antioxidant activity (DPPH), with IC50 values close to those of the gallic acid standard. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that propolis from native Amazonian bees possesses high biotechnological value. The first study revealed that the five species from Manaus exhibit high chemical complexity, with Melipona seminigra standing out due to its higher phenolic content and superior antioxidant activity. The second study confirmed the quality of the propolis from Duckeola ghilianii and Frieseomelitta longipes, which meet Brazilian regulatory standards, highlighting that geographic location (especially in Iranduba) directly influences bioactivity, while seasonality affects production capacity. Integrated, these data prove the potential of stingless bees as sources of bioactive inputs for the pharmaceutical industry, providing scientific evidence to support the valuation of meliponiculture and the strengthening of the bioeconomy in the Amazon.