CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF THREE TYPES OF AMAZONIAN Melipona spp. GEOPROPOLIS

This work describes the first chemical study on the metabolic profile of three geopropolis samples from Melipona fulva, M. compressipes, and M. paraensis collected in the Amazonian region. The samples were submitted to solvent extractions. The silylated hexane extracts were submitted to GC-MS analysis and tentatively identified mainly the presence of triterpenes, steroids, fatty acids, and alcohols. The chemical profile of M. fulva of and M. compressipes geopropolis are similar. However, cholesterol, triacontanol, and palmitic acid are the main compounds in M. fulva; in M. compressipes, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, and oleic acid are predominant. The chemical profile of the M. paraensis sample is entirely different once more than 60% of the extract comprises lupenone and triacontanol. The CHCl₃ soluble fraction of the MeOH extract of the M. paraensis geopropolis was submitted to chromatographic techniques, and it afforded cycloartenol, 24-methylene-cycloartenol, lupeol, α- and β-amirins, and 7-O-methylaromadendrin. The MeOH extract of this sample presents antimicrobial activities against strains of Streptococcus mutans, S. sobrinus, and S. aureus (MIC of 15.6-62.5 µg mL⁻¹ and MBC of 62.5-1000 µg mL⁻¹). The M. fulva and M. compressipes geopropolis were not active in this test.

Keywords:
Melipona spp; Amazonian geopropolis; 7-O-methylaromadendrin; lipid composition; triterpenes