Some insights into the quality and chemical diversity of Australian stingless bee propolis
Project completed by Damon Woods, Dr. Trong Tran and other collaborators
Propolis is made from various plant resins collected from flora surrounding the hive. It is used to reinforce the hive structure and acts as a sterilising agent, helping to maintain bee health.
The biological activity of propolis stems from the organic chemical compounds present in the plant resins collected by bees. These compounds are primarily polyphenols and terpenoids. Globally, the standard for assessing propolis quality is based largely on its polyphenol content and antioxidant activity. Due to the limited knowledge of Australian stingless bee propolis, this study investigated the quality and chemical diversity of propolis produced by two stingless bee species along the east coast of Australia including Tetragonula carbonaria and Tetragonula hockingsi.
The study found that propolis sourced from Australian stingless bees across the east coast was chemically diverse and displayed nine distinct chemical profiles. The researchers also found that Australian stingless bee propolis contained more polyphenolic content than some species of stingless bees from Brazil, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand. Additionally, the researchers discovered that propolis collected from the north of Australia was of higher quality than propolis collected from the south of Australia (Figure 1 and 2) with northern propolis boasting higher polyphenol content as well as higher antioxidant activity.
This research offers scientific evidence that Australian stingless bee propolis is both high in quality and chemical diversity, underlining its potential as a commercially valuable natural product.
Citation: Woods, D.C.; Olsson, M.A.; Heard, T.A.; Wallace, H. M.; Tran, T.D.; Quality assessment and chemical diversity of Australian propolis from Tetragonula carbonaria and Tetragonula hockingsi stingless bees. Sci Rep 15, 17928. (2025)
Article link https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-03011-w
