Terpenoid and Phenolic Profiling of Propolis (Apis mellifera) from South Sulawesi via TLC and LC-MS/MS-QTOF and Assessment of Antibacterial Activity against Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Bees produce resinous product from plant exudates which results in propolis. Propolis contains various bioactive metabolites. This study aims to tentatively profile phenolic and terpenoid compounds in Apis mellifera propolis from Masamba, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, using TLC and LC-MS/MS-QTOF, and to determine its in vitro antibacterial activity towards Staphylococcus aureus. TLC analysis showed the presence of terpenoid and phenolic compounds based on their characteristic visualization under UV light and after derivatization. LC-MS/MS-QTOF analysis successfully identified nine terpenoids and five phenolic compounds, tentatively based on retention time, accurate mass, and fragmentation pattern. The representative compounds were displayed through MS/MS spectra, while the complete identification data were summarized in the table. The agar well diffusion method was used to test antibacterial activity of the propolis extract at concentrations of 0.25%, 0.5%, and 0.75% (w/v). The inhibition zone diameter increased with increasing concentration, with the highest value being 15.48 mm at 0.75%, compared to 16.82 mm for the tetracycline positive control. Statistical analysis showed a significant concentration-dependent effect (p 0.0001), with the 0.75% concentration not significantly different from tetracycline under these test conditions. The obtained chemical profiles were used as a basis for interpreting the antibacterial response without reference to the activity of individual compounds. Overall, Masamba propolis exhibited in vitro antibacterial activity towards S. aureus and contained a variety of phenolic and terpenoid compounds. Thus, future study is hoped to conduct MIC values, confirm compound structures, and elucidate the contributions of each metabolite.

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