투고논문

Discrimination of Turkish Propolis from Different Geographical Origins by NMR Spectroscopy

Young Kee Chae^1*, Hakbeom Kim¹, and Emine Sonay Elgin^2*

¹Department of Chemistry, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-Ro, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea

²Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Kötekli 48000, Muğla, Turkey

Received Aug 10, 2024; Revised Sep 7, 2024; Accepted Sep 9, 2024

Abstract In a study utilizing NMR spectroscopy and chemometrics, propolis samples from seven diverse geographic regions across Turkey were analyzed. To identify the optimal method for studying both the antimicrobial properties and compositional variations of propolis from different regions, we investigated metabolite extraction using three solvents: water only, ethanol only, and sequential water-ethanol extraction for residual components. Notably, water-soluble components exhibited significant variation among the samples, which is particularly interesting considering the potability of propolis in water-based solutions. Furthermore, the Muğla sample displayed a distinct water-soluble profile, likely due to its unique coastal location on the Aegean Sea. This specific climate may influence the propolis' chemical composition, resulting in a different mixture of components. Interestingly, the Muğla sample contained pharmaceutically active compounds like cinnamate, ferulate, and verapamil. This research establishes a valuable foundation for further exploration of propolis' antimicrobial potential.

Keywords Turkish propolis, discrimination, statistical analysis, NMR

* Address correspondence to: Young Kee Chae, Department of Chemistry, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea, Tel: 82-2-3408-3748; Fax: 82-2-3408-4317; E-mail: ykchae@sejong.ac.kr, Emine Sonay Elgin, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Kötekli 48000, Muğla, Turkey; E-mail: selgin@mu.edu