Citation: Grassi, G.; Capasso, G.; Gambacorta, E.; Perna, A.M. Chemical and Functional Characterization of Propolis Collected from Different Areas of South Italy. Foods 2023, 12, 3481. https://doi.org/10.3390/ foods12183481 Academic Editors: Liming Wu and Qiangqiang Li Received: 29 August 2023 Revised: 13 September 2023 Accepted: 14 September 2023 Published: 19 September 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). foods Article Chemical and Functional Characterization of Propolis Collected from Different Areas of South Italy Giulia Grassi 1, *, Giambattista Capasso 2 , Emilio Gambacorta 2 and Anna Maria Perna 2 1 Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, Via De Sanctis 1, 86100 Campobasso, Italy 2 School of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy; giambattista.capasso@unibas.it (G.C.); emilio.gambacorta@unibas.it (E.G.); anna.perna@unibas.it (A.M.P.) * Correspondence: giulia.grassi@unimol.it; Tel.: +39-0971-205073; Fax: +39-0971-205099 Abstract: This study investigated the chemical and functional characterization of propolis collected in southern Italy, in particular in Basilicata, a region rich in ecological and vegetative biodiversity. Sixteen samples of propolis, collected within a radius of 40 km from each other in the Basilicata region, showed significant differences between the chemical and functional parameters investigated: color index (L*, a*, b*; p < 0.05) and variation in chemical composition and antioxidant activities by ABTS and FRAP assays. In general, Lucanian propolis had a low content of waxes (p < 0.05) and a high content of resin (p < 0.05) and balsams (p < 0.05). The content of the total phenolic compounds and flavonoids was highly variable, as was the biological capacity. In conclusion, Lucanian propolis showed remarkable variability, highlighting significant diversification according to the geographical position and the diversity of the flora surrounding the apiary that the bees use as a source of resin. This study, therefore, contributes to the enhancement of the quality of propolis, laying the foundations for the production and marketing of propolis not only in the food industry but also in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Keywords: propolis; chemical and functional composition; antioxidant activity; Basilicata 1. Introduction Propolis is a natural product that is processed by bees with the addition of other substances such as wax, pollen and glandular secretions. It appears as a resinous substance that arises from the industrious work of foraging bees that feed on substances present on the bark and exudates of numerous plants [1,2]. Propolis is a product that is used inside the hive to protect and build borders and entrances for bees but also as an insulator thanks to its ability to be sticky in hot periods and rigid in cold periods. It is commonly called “bees glue” and it is an excellent biological defense against the proliferation of microorganisms [3,4]. Furthermore, bees use propolis as a natural remedy to prevent the decomposition of the carcass of other insects that settle in the hives and it is able to stabilize the internal temperature of the hive at around 35/37 ◦ C. Finally, being a lipophilic substance, it prevents the penetration of water into the hive with a consequent stabilization of humidity and regulates the airflow in the hive [2]. In nature, there are numerous types of propolis that differ from each other in chemical composition, physical characteristics, color and other characteristics that make them unique. In fact, some researchers have noticed differences between various propolis samples in consistency; some were brittle and hard, while others were elastic and gummy. In general, propolis is characterized by 50% resin (phenolic compounds) and vegetable balms, 30% wax, 10% essential and aromatic oils, 5% pollen and 5% other substances, including also organic debris [5]. In reality, there are a number of factors that influence the composition of raw propolis: geographical area, botanical origin, seasonality, climatic temperatures Foods 2023, 12, 3481. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12183481 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/foods