Innovative methods for the extraction and chromatographic analysis of honey bee products

In this study, new and efficient chromatographic techniques were developed for a complete chemical characterization of raw propolis polyphenols and volatile compounds, which are responsible for the biological activity of the extracts widely used in apitherapy. The analysis of polyphenols, including phenolic acids and flavonoids, was performed by RP-HPLC coupled with UV/DAD and MS detection, using the new fused-core technology. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was carried out for these constituents and its parameters were optimized by means of response surface experimental design methodology. The characterization of propolis volatile compounds was based on GC coupled with MS detection. In this ambit, a suitable HS-SPME extraction procedure was developed for the first time using a PDMS fiber. Both these chromatographic techniques were applied to raw propolis samples collected in different Italian regions to determine their metabolite fingerprinting, thus providing new and reliable tools for the complete chemical characterization of this biologically active material.