Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Apr 21;10(5):828.
doi: 10.3390/plants10050828.

Extracts of Poplar Buds (Populus balsamifera L., Populus nigra L.) and Lithuanian Propolis: Comparison of Their Composition and Biological Activities

Monika Stanciauskaite  1 , Mindaugas Marksa  2 , Mindaugas Liaudanskas  3 , Liudas Ivanauskas  2 , Marija Ivaskiene  4 , Kristina Ramanauskiene  1
Affiliations

Extracts of Poplar Buds (Populus balsamifera L., Populus nigra L.) and Lithuanian Propolis: Comparison of Their Composition and Biological Activities

Monika Stanciauskaite et al. Plants (Basel). .

Abstract

Balsam poplar and black poplar (Populus balsamifera L. and Populus nigra L.) buds that grow in Lithuania are the primary source of propolis, therefore it is proper to evaluate and compare the composition of these raw plant materials and propolis quantitatively and qualitatively. Propolis and balsamic poplar bud extract are dominated by p-coumaric acid and black poplar-caffeic acid. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), FRAP (ferric-reducing antioxidant power) and CUPRAC (cupric reducing antioxidant capacity) methods and all extracts showed antioxidant activity, and obtained results correlated with the obtained amounts of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in the extracts. Studies of antimicrobial activity have shown that all extracts have a growth inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans, but the extract of balsam poplar buds showed the most significant effect of such kind. Considering the results of the research, it can be stated that balsam poplar buds cultured in Lithuania are the primary raw material of propolis, which is rich in phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties and is a promising raw material for pharmaceutical purposes.

Keywords: antimicrobial activity; antioxidant activity; balsam poplar; black poplar; flavonoids; phenolic compounds; propolis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
HPLC chromatogram of standards of compounds identified in the extracts: 1. salicin, 2. chlorogenic acid, 3. vanillic acid, 4. caffeic acid, 5. vanillin, 6. p-coumaric acid, 7. ferulic acid, 8. cinnamic acid, 9. pinobanksin, 10. apigenin, 11. kaempferol, 12. pinocembrin, 13. galangin.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percentage of active compounds for the identification of test samples out of the total active compounds. (a) N1—balsam poplar buds extract, (b) N2—black poplar buds extract, (c) N3—propolis extract.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percentage of active compounds for the identification of test samples out of the total active compounds. (a) N1—balsam poplar buds extract, (b) N2—black poplar buds extract, (c) N3—propolis extract.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The antioxidant activity of samples N1 (P. balsamifera buds extract), N2 (P. nigra buds extract) and N3 (Propolis extract) expressed as µmol TE/g. (a) ABTS, (b) DPPH, (c) FRAP, (d) CUPRAC. Different letters mean significant difference at p < 0.05.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The antioxidant activity of samples N1 (P. balsamifera buds extract), N2 (P. nigra buds extract) and N3 (Propolis extract) expressed as µmol TE/g. (a) ABTS, (b) DPPH, (c) FRAP, (d) CUPRAC. Different letters mean significant difference at p < 0.05.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Correlation graph of total phenolic compounds, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity results (TPhC—total phenolic compounds mg CAE/g, TF—total flavonoids mg RE/g, PhHPLC—total phenolic compounds by HPLC mg/g, FHPLC—total flavonoids by HPLC mg/g).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Huang S., Zhang C.P., Wang K., Li G.Q., Hu F.L. Recent advances in the chemical composition of propolis. Molecules. 2014;19:19610–19632. doi: 10.3390/molecules191219610. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Botta L., Brunori F., Tulimieri A., Piccinino D., Meschini R., Saladino R. Laccase-Mediated. Enhancement of the Antioxidant Activity of Propolis and Poplar Bud Exudates. ACS Omega. 2017;2:2515–2523. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.7b00294. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bankova V., Marcucci M.C. Standardization of propolis: Present status and perspectives. Bee World. 2000;81:182–188. doi: 10.1080/0005772X.2000.11099492. - DOI
    1. Popravko S.A., Tikhomirova V.I., Vulfson N.S. Propolis. Apimondia; Campinas, Brazil: 1985. Comparative Study of the Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Propolis and Its Sources; pp. 35–37.
    1. Marcucci M.C. Propolis: Chemical composition, biological properties and therapeutic activity. Apidologie. 1995;26:83–99. doi: 10.1051/apido:19950202. - DOI