Identification of volatile compounds and evaluation of certain phytochemical properties of Turkish propolis

The purpose of this study was to assess volatile component profiles and the antioxidant activity of propolis samples from eight different locations in Türkiye. α-Pinene, β-pinene, 3-carene, limonene, 2-acetylfuran, benzaldehyde, acetic acid, benzoic acid, longifolene, isopentyl acetate, m-cymene, styrene, and δ-cadinene were the most common volatile components found in the most of propolis samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis were performed on the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) data to identify trends and clusters in the propolis samples. As a result of the PCA, the common components in all propolis were m-cymene, decanal, α-pinene, limonene, pinocarvone, benzaldehyde, and butanoic acid. The samples had 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) inhibition activity ranging from 19.2% to 92.5% and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) values ranging from 480 to 1370 μM trolox/g extract. The total phenolic content (TPC) ranged from 10,900 to 34,033 mg GAE/100 g. Compared with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (control), all but one of the propolis samples exhibited higher DPPH activity. In addition, ABTS levels of propolis extracts were higher than those of BHT. These results unequivocally show that Turkish propolis has remarkable antioxidant qualities, which makes it a viable option for addition to food and medicine products.