Propolis is a natural product with great appeal to consumers and researchers due to its important functional properties. Nanofiltration was tested to concentrate the extract derived from propolis produced by Brazilian bees using a water- and an alcohol-based extract. A spiral membrane module with average molar mass cut-off around 150 to 300 g.mol-1 was used. The influence of pressure, temperature and tangential velocity on the permeate flux was evaluated and hysteresis in the membrane was analyzed. An average permeate flux around 12.0 L/h.m² was obtained for the alcoholic solution and 25.0 L/h.m² for the aqueous solution. The pressure was varied from 2 to 5.0 bar, providing variation directly proportional to the increase of permeate flux, and also to the increase of fouling, which reached 32% at 5.0 bar. The permeate flux also was directly proportional to the increase in temperature and tangential flow. Hysteresis was measured at 30 and 40 ºC and demonstrated the elastic and reversible characteristic of the membrane. The process efficiency was measured by retention index of flavonoids and phenolic compounds. Around 99% of flavonoids in aqueous solution and 90% in ethanol solution were retained, and in the phenolic compounds, around 80 and 24% for the aqueous and the ethanol solutions respectively were retained.
propolis; nanofiltration; flavonoids; membranes
