ASSESSMENT OF THE ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF PROPOLIS FROM DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGINS AND POSSIBLE MEDICAL APPLICATION

Propolis is a natural resinous substance produced by bees by collecting substances from plant parts.Propolis has antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antitumor effects on the human organisms.Flavonoids are the one of basic component of propolis, but propolis also contains a number of organic acids, mineral substances, vitamins, amino acids, terpenes and hydrocarbons.Antioxidants are substances with function of protection cells from the oxidizing action of free radicals.The most important antioxidants are: vitamins A, E, C, zinc, selenium, polyphenols.Polyphenols have large antioxidant activity.They include about 8000 compounds with different chemical structures.Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds and act as the main biologically active compounds of propolis.In this research werw used spectrophotometric methods, FRAP and FC for determination of antioxidant capacity of propolis and the concentration of total polyphenols in propolis.The FRAP method is based on the ability of antioxidants to donate electrons in an acidic medium (pH = 3.6) to reduce the yellow complex of ferric iron (Fe3+) with TPTZ into a blue-colored Fe2+-TPTZ complex.The intensity of the blue color at 593nm is measured.The intensity of the color is proportional to the concentration of antioxidants.The results are expressed in MFe(II)/L.The FC method is based on oxidation and reduction reactions, i.e. on the colorimetric reaction of phenol with the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, during which the color changes from yellow to dark blue.Total phenols are determined as a good indicator of antioxidant activity.The values