Propolis specimens from different locations of central Italy: chemical profiling and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) quantitative analysis of the allergenic esters benzyl cinnamate and benzyl salicylate.

Propolis is a beehive product popular in natural medicine thanks to its noteworthy properties. Propolis is non-toxic but is responsible for allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. In this paper, we propose a new gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analytical methodology for the quantitative analysis of two allergenic esters in propolis specimens, benzyl salicylate and benzyl cinnamate, and test it on specimens from different locations of central Italy. We also present the results obtained in the chemical characterization of the same specimens. The characterization showed that the resin fractions of all of the specimens are of poplar origin.