Chemistry and Materials Research www.iiste.org ISSN 2224- 3224 (Print) ISSN 2225- 0956 (Online) Vol.12, No.1, 2020 1 Evaluation of Physico Chemical Qualities of Beeswax in Selected Districts of Kafa Zone, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Ethiopia Tesfu Shegaw 1 Asaminew Tassew 2 Desalegne Begna 3 1.Bonga Agricultural Research Center 2. Bahir Dar University 3.Holeta Bee Research Center (HBRC) Abstract The study was conducted in selected districts of Kafa Zone of Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Ethiopia with an intention to identify the physico chemical quality status of beeswax produced in the areas. Three districts; Chena, Gimbo and Gesha and three peasant associations (PAs) from each district were purposively selected based on their potentialities for production and marketing of honey and beeswax. Before collecting sample beeswaxes, a preliminary survey was conducted to identify the major actors taking part in production, processing and marketing of beeswax. Accordingly, beeswax samples were collected from fresh combs, old combs, local mead houses and cooperatives for detail quality analysis. The Mean+SE value for melting point, refractive index, ash content, total volatile matter, acid value, Saponification value, ester value, and ester to acid ratio of beeswax of the area is found to be 62.35+0.15, 1.4416+0.0001, 0.0857+0.0144, 0.4156+0.0385,22.689+0.3793,94.7540+0.8617,72.065+0.4766,3.201+0.0625 respectively. All the samples passed for paraffin and other waxes, and fats and fatty acid tests. The result shows no significant variation among studied districts in all parameters. However, significantly higher value of refractive index, total volatile matters and ash contents were recorded in samples from local mead houses at p<0.05. This might be due to poor handling practices and an intentional addition of foreign materials such as salt for preserving beeswax from wax moths’ attacks and ‘kocho’ for increasing its volume which are commonly practiced by some individuals of ‘tej’ houses. The overall results revealed that all the beeswax samples collected from various sources are found within the acceptable ranges of national and international standards. Keywords: beeswax, physico-chemical qualities, Kafa zone DOI: 10.7176/CMR/12-1-01 Publication date: January 31 st 2020 1. INTRODUCTION Beeswax is a valuable natural product obtained from honeybees secreted from four pairs of glands located underside of the abdomen of young worker bees which arefully developed during 12 to 18 days of age andstartsdiminishingas their age isincreasingand during feed shortages (Brown, 2010; Carillo et al., 2015). However, it will be reactivated in times of emergency or during shortages of younger bees (Bogdanov, 2016a). Honeybees produce wax for constructing their combs and cell capping for storing honey, pollen and rearing broods (Bradbear, 2009).Despite its uses for making foundation sheets, beeswax is also widely used in various fields including cosmetics, foods, pharmaceuticals, engineering and industries (Bogdanov, 2004b; 2016b; Hilmi et al., 2011). Naturally beeswax is composed of esters of fatty acidsincludingmono ester (35%), diester(14%), triester (3%),hydroxyl monoester (4%), hydroxylpolyester (8%), various hydrocarbons(14%), free acids (12%), long chain alcohols (1%) and other substances(Brian, 2015; CBI,2015). Pure beeswax is whitish in color. However, presence of pollen in the combs and contamination with other substances during processing and storage triggers it to becomeyellowishor yellow brownish(Bogdanov,2016a). As beeswax has a wide range of uses for human beings, it should contain minimum level of contaminations as much as possible (Bogdanov, 2009). Nowadays, various plagiaristic products and toxic contaminants are becoming the major threats impairing its qualitystatuses(Bogdanov, 2004a; EPOPA, 2006; Gemechis Legesse, 2014).Identifying the quality status of this product along each actor will ease the progress for further intervention so as to produce internationally compatible product which is the very issue of beeswax trading.According to various studies such asNuru (2007); Bekele, et al.,(2016); Addisu, et al.,(2017); Yeshitela et al.,(2018) indicated that the physico-chemical quality status of beeswaxin Ethiopia isvarying from place to places or actorsmainlydue tothe variation in its managements practices and intentional adulteration processes.Consequently, identifying the physico-chemical quality status of this product across different areas of the country and market actors is very imperativeto undertake further intervention.Hence, the current study wasprincipally aimed withevaluating the physico chemical quality status of beeswax in thestudy areas obtained from different sources. Beeswax is a very complex natural product owing its ownphysical properties which could be distinguished