A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PHENOLIC AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF PROPOLIS AND SUMAC (RHUS CORIARIA L.)

Sumac (Rhus coriaria L.) is a sour spice widely used in Türkiye and especially in the Southeastern Anatolia region to give a distinctive color and sharp taste to dishes. Propolis is a resinous natural product collected from beehives, and due to its wide range of biologically active properties, it is an important dietary supplement. In this study, the phenolic and antioxidant properties of sumac and propolis from Malatya region were examined and compared. Ethanolic extracts of sumac and propolis were analyzed for their phenolic properties, including total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and phenolic composition. The phenolic profile was determined using HPLC-PDA based on 26 phenolic standards. Antioxidant activities were evaluated using the ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and ABTS radical scavenging activity. The total phenolic content was measured at 49.12 mg GAE/g in sumac and 159.30 mg GAE/g in propolis. Sumac was found to be particularly rich in phenolic acids, including gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, and syringic acid. In contrast, propolis exhibited a higher content of flavonoids such as pinocembrin, hesperetin, caffeic acid, and CAPE. Chrysin was identified as a common flavonoid present in both natural products. The findings indicate that sumac contains a significant concentration of biologically active compounds, similar to propolis, and therefore has the potential to be utilized not only as a spice but also as a dietary supplement.