Antioxidant Capacity and Chemical Profiles of Satureja montana L. Honey: Hotrienol and Syringyl Derivatives as Biomarkers

The present study is focused on the antioxidant capacity and chemical profiling of eight Croatian Satureja montana L. honey samples. Among the 20 compounds obtained by headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) and identified by GC‐FID and GC/MS analyses, hotrienol was predominant (75.9–81.7%). The honey matrix volatile/semivolatile profile was investigated by ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE) followed by GC‐FID and GC/MS analyses. The major compounds identified by this latter method were the sinapic‐acid derivatives methyl syringate (36.2–72.8%) and syringaldehyde (2.2–43.1%). Direct, targeted HPLC‐DAD analyses of the native honey samples revealed the presence of methyl syringate (7.10–39.60 mg/kg) and syringic acid (0.10–1.70 mg/kg). In addition, the total phenolic content of the samples was determined by the Folin? Ciocalteu assay (311.0–465.9 mg GAE/kg), and the antioxidant capacity was evaluated by the DPPH radical‐scavenging activity (0.5–1.0 mmol TEAC/kg) and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (2.5–5.1 mmol Fe²⁺/kg).     

Development of a Headspace Solid‐Phase Microextraction Gas Chromatography‐Mass Spectrometry Method to Study Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Emitted by Lavender Roots

A headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) method combined with gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was developed and optimized for the extraction and the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from lavandin and fine lavender roots. Optimal parameters to extract volatile molecules from ground and intact roots were determined using a divinylbenzene‐carboxen‐polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/CAR/PDMS) coating fiber at 70 °C for 60 min. A total of 99 VOCs, including 40 monoterpenoids, 15 sesquiterpenoids, 1 diterpenoid and 2 coumarins were detected. The main compounds detected in lavandin roots were fenchol, borneol, and coumarin. Performances of the optimized SPME GC/MS method were evaluated via the comparison of VOC emissions between roots from different cultivars of fine lavender (7713 and maillette) and lavandin (abrial and grosso). Chemometric analysis, using partial least squares‐discriminant analysis (PLS‐DA), suggests fifteen significant features as potential discriminatory compounds. Among them, β‐phellandrene allows discrimination between lavender and lavandin varieties.     

First Report on Rare Unifloral Honey of Endemic Moltkia petraea (Tratt.) Griseb. from Croatia: Detailed Chemical Screening and Antioxidant Capacity

Rare Moltkia petraea (Tratt .) Griseb . honey from Croatia was first time characterised. The spectrophotometric assays on CIE L*a*b*C_ab*h_ab° colour coordinates, total phenol content and antioxidant capacity (FRAP , CUPRAC , DPPH ^? and ABTS ^?+ assays) determined higher honey values generally close to dark honeys ranges. Headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS ‐SPME ) on two fibres after GC ‐FID and GC /MS revealed the major compounds 2‐phenylacetaldehyde (12.8%; 15.6%), benzaldehyde (11.1%; 10.0%), octane (9.3%; 7.6%), nonane, propan‐2‐one, pentan‐2‐one, pentanal and nonanal (4.9%; 14.5%). Ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE ) mainly isolated non‐specific higher molecular compounds characteristic of the comb environment. Targeted HLPC ‐DAD analysis of the honey determined higher concentration of phenylalanine (212.08 mg/kg) and lumichrome (16.25 mg/kg) along with tyrosine and kojic acid. The headspace composition (chemical fingerprint) and high concentration of lumichrome can be considered particular for M . petraea honey.     

Pattern recognition and genetic algorithms for discrimination of orange juices and reduction of significant components from headspace solid‐phase microextraction

Introduction – Orange (Citrus sinensis L.) juice comprises a complex mixture of volatile components that are difficult to identify and quantify. Classification and discrimination of the varieties on the basis of the volatile composition could help to guarantee the quality of a juice and to detect possible adulteration of the product. Objective – To provide information on the amounts of volatile constituents in fresh‐squeezed juices from four orange cultivars and to establish suitable discrimination rules to differentiate orange juices using new chemometric approaches. Methodology – Fresh juices of four orange cultivars were analysed by headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) coupled with GC‐MS. Principal component analysis, linear discriminant analysis and heuristic methods, such as neural networks, allowed clustering of the data from HS‐SPME analysis while genetic algorithms addressed the problem of data reduction. To check the quality of the results the chemometric techniques were also evaluated on a sample. Results – Thirty volatile compounds were identified by HS‐SPME and GC‐MS analyses and their relative amounts calculated. Differences in composition of orange juice volatile components were observed. The chosen orange cultivars could be discriminated using neural networks, genetic relocation algorithms and linear discriminant analysis. Genetic algorithms applied to the data were also able to detect the most significant compounds. Conclusions – SPME is a useful technique to investigate orange juice volatile composition and a flexible chemometric approach is able to correctly separate the juices. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bioorganic Research of Galactites tomentosa Moench. Honey Extracts: Enantiomeric Purity of Chiral Marker 3‐Phenyllactic Acid

Thistle (Galactites tomentosa Moench.) honey organic extracts were obtained by headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) and ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE) and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC‐FID and GC‐MS) for the first time. Most abundant headspace compounds were terpenes, particularly linalool derivatives (hotrienol was predominant with a range of 38.6–57.5%). 3‐Phenyllactic acid dominated in the solvent extracts (77.4–86.4%) followed by minor percentages of other shikimate pathway derivatives. After determination of an adequate enantioseparation protocol on Chirallica PST‐4 column, the honey solvent extracts were analyzed by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The chiral analysis revealed high enantiomeric excess (>95%) of (–)‐3‐phenyllactic acid in all samples. Therefore, previous findings of chemical markers of thistle honey were extended, providing new potential for advanced chemical fingerprinting (optical pure chemical marker). Chirality 26:405–410, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The Volatile Profiles of a Rare Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) Honey: Shikimic Acid‐Pathway Derivatives,Terpenes, and Others

The volatile profiles of rare Malus domestica Borkh . honey were investigated for the first time. Two representative samples from Poland (sample I) and Spain (sample II) were selected by pollen analysis (44–45% of Malus spp. pollen) and investigated by GC/FID/MS after headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) and ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE). The apple honey is characterized by high percentage of shikimic acid‐pathway derivatives, as well as terpenes, norisoprenoids, and some other compounds such as coumaran and methyl 1H‐indole‐3‐acetate. The main compounds of the honey headspace were (sample I; sample II): benzaldehyde (9.4%; 32.1%), benzyl alcohol (0.3%; 14.4%), hotrienol (26.0%, 6.2%), and lilac aldehyde isomers (26.3%; 1.7%), but only Spanish sample contained car‐2‐en‐4‐one (10.2%). CH₂Cl₂ and pentane/Et₂O 1 : 2 (v/v) were used for USE. The most relevant compounds identified in the extracts were: benzaldehyde (0.9–3.9%), benzoic acid (2.0–11.2%), terpendiol I (0.3–7.4%), coumaran (0.0–2.8%), 2‐phenylacetic acid (2.0–26.4%), methyl syringate (3.9–13.1%), vomifoliol (5.0–31.8%), and methyl 1H‐indole‐3‐acetate (1.9–10.2%). Apple honey contained also benzyl alcohol, 2‐phenylethanol, (E)‐cinnamaldehyde, (E)‐cinnamyl alcohol, eugenol, vanillin, and linalool that have been found previously in apple flowers, thus disclosing similarity of both volatile profiles.     

Patterns in Volatile Emission of Different Aerial Parts of Caper (Capparis spinosa L.)

We analyzed the spontaneous volatile emission of different aerial parts of the caper (Capparis spinosa L.) by HS‐SPME‐GC/MS. We identified 178 different compounds of which, in different proportions based on the sample type, the main ones were (E)‐β‐ocimene, methyl benzoate, linalool, β‐caryophyllene, α‐guaiene, germacrene D, bicyclogermacrene, germacrene B, (E)‐nerolidol, isopropyl tetradecanoate, and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone. The multivariate statistical analyses seem to point out that the parameter leading the emission patterns is the function of the analyzed sample; the flower samples showed differences in the emission profile between their fertile and sterile portions and between the other parts of the plant. The green parts emission profiles group together in a cluster and are different from those of seeds and fruits. We also hydrodistilled fully bloomed caper flowers, whose volatile oil showed significant differences in the composition from those of other parts of the plant reported.     

Volatile Compounds of Viola odorata Absolutes: Identification of Odorant Active Markers to Distinguish Plants Originating from France and Egypt

Absolutes isolated from Viola odorata leaves, valuable materials for the flavor and fragrance industry, were studied. Violets are mainly cultivated in France and Egypt and extracted locally. The absolutes of the two origins showed different olfactory profiles both in top and heart notes, as evidenced by sensory analysis. The aims of this study were i) to characterize the volatile compounds, ii) to determine the odorant‐active ones, and iii) to identify some markers of the plant origin. Two complementary analytical methods were used for these purposes, i.e., headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) using different fiber coatings followed by GC/MS analysis and gas chromatography – olfactometry/mass spectrometry (GC‐O/MS) applied to violet leaf extracts. From a total of 70 identified compounds, 61 have never been reported so far for this species, 17 compounds were characterized by both techniques (with seven among them known from the literature), 23 compounds were solely identified by HS‐SPME GC/MS (among them only two being already mentioned as components of violet absolutes in the literature), and, finally, 30 compounds were only identified by GC‐O/MS. According to the HS‐SPME GC/MS analyses, ethyl hexanoate and (2E,6Z)‐nona‐2,6‐dienol were specific volatile compounds of the sample with French origin, while (E,E)‐hepta‐2,4‐dienal, hexanoic acid, limonene, tridecane, and eugenol were specific of the samples with Egyptian origin. Additional compounds that were not detected by HS‐SPME GC/MS analysis were revealed by GC‐O analyses, some of them being markers of origin. Pent‐1‐en‐3‐ol, 3‐methylbut‐2‐enal, 2‐methoxy‐3‐(1‐methylethyl)pyrazine, 4‐ethylbenzaldehyde, β‐phenethyl formate, and 2‐methoxy‐3‐(2‐methylpropyl)pyrazine revealed to be odorant markers of the French sample, whereas cis‐rose oxide, trans‐rose oxide, and 3,5,5‐trimethylcyclohex‐2‐enone were odorant markers of the Egyptian samples.     

Aroma Profile of Rubus ulmifolius Flowers and Fruits During Different Ontogenetic Phases

The chemical composition of spontaneous volatile emission from Rubus ulmifolius flowers and fruits during different stages of development was evaluated by HS‐SPME‐GC/MS. In total, 155 chemical compounds were identified accounting 84.6 – 99.4% of whole aroma profile of flowers samples and 92.4 – 96.6% for fruit samples. The main constituents were α‐copaene, β‐caryophyllene, germacrene D, (E,E)‐α‐farnesene, 1,7‐octadien‐3‐one,2‐methyl‐6‐methylene, tridecane, (E)‐2‐hexenol acetate, (E)‐3‐hexenol acetate and cyperene. The results give a chemotaxonomic contribution to the characterization of the VOCs emitted from flowers and fruits during their ontogenic development.     

Use of solid phase microextraction (SPME) for profiling fungal volatile metabolites

AIMS: The influence of isolation methods: solid phase microextraction (SPME) with different fibres and simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE) on the profile of isolated fungal volatile metabolites was investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Four SPME fibre types: Polydimethylsiloxane, Polyacrylate, Carboxen/PDMS and Carboxen/Divinylbenzene/PDMS were evaluated in terms of their efficiency in extracting volatile metabolites emitted by Penicillium roqueforti grown on wheat kernel medium. All fibres showed varied efficiency and selectivity in extracting volatile compounds. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were the predominant fraction of volatile compounds isolated by all fibres, and ranged from 55.4 to 93.7% of all volatiles depending on the type of fibre used. Alcohols and ketones ranged from 2.7 to 20.5%, esters from 1.2 to 12.8%, and monoterpene hydrocarbons from 1.2 to 5.4%. Profile of volatile compounds obtained by SDE differed from SPME and the oxygenated sesquiterpenes formed the predominant fraction of volatiles isolated using SDE. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The data in this study show that analysed profile of volatile compounds emitted by fungi is highly dependent on the extraction method.     

Comparative analysis of volatile metabolomics signals from melanoma and benign skin: a pilot study

The analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOC) as biomarkers of cancer is both promising and challenging. In this pilot study, we used an untargeted approach to compare volatile metabolomic signatures of melanoma and matched control non-neoplastic skin from the same patient. VOC from fresh (non-fixed) biopsied tissue were collected using the headspace solid phase micro extraction method (HS SPME) and analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GCMS). We applied the XCMS analysis platform and MetaboAnalyst software to reveal many differentially expressed metabolic features. Our analysis revealed increased levels of lauric acid (C12:0) and palmitic acid (C16:0) in melanoma. The identity of these compounds was confirmed by comparison with chemical standards. Increased levels of these fatty acids are likely to be a consequence of up-regulated de novo lipid synthesis, a known characteristic of cancer. Increased oxidative stress is likely to cause an additional increase in lauric acid. Implementation of this study design on larger number of cases will be necessary for the future metabolomics biomarker discovery applications.     

Bioorganic Diversity of Rare Coriandrum sativum L. Honey: Unusual Chromatographic Profiles Containing Derivatives of Linalool/Oxygenated Methoxybenzene

The compounds responsible for highly individual aroma profile of Coriandrum sativum L. honey were isolated by headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME; used fibers: A: polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/divinylbenzene (DVB) and B: divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane), as well as ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE; used solvents: A: pentane/Et₂O 1 : 2 (v/v) and B: CH₂Cl₂) and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS). Unusual chromatographic profiles were obtained containing derivatives of linalool/oxygenated methoxybenzene. trans‐Linalool oxide (11.1%; 14.6%) dominated in the headspace, followed by other linalool derivatives (such as cis/trans‐anhydrolinalool oxide (5.0%; 5.9%), isomers of lilac aldehyde/alcohol (14.9%; 13.8%) or p‐menth‐1‐en‐9‐al (15.6%; 18.5%)), octanal, and several low‐molecular‐weight esters. The major compounds in the solvent extracts were oxygenated methoxybenzene derivatives such as 3,4,5‐trimethoxybenzyl alcohol (26.3%; 24.7%), methyl syringate (23.8%; 11.7%), and 3,4‐dimethoxybenzyl alcohol (5.6%; 13.9%). Another group of abundant compounds in the extracts were derivatives of linalool (e.g., (E)/(Z)‐2,6‐dimethylocta‐2,7‐diene‐1,6‐diol (17.8%; 16.1%)). Among the compounds identified, cis/trans‐anhydrolinalool oxides and 3,4,5‐trimethoxybenzyl alcohol can be useful as chemical markers of coriander honey.     

采用多次顶空固相微萃取分析拟南芥绿叶挥发性物质

顶空固相微萃取作为一种新的挥发性和半挥发性物质分析技术,被广泛应用于植物样品的定性分析。由于进行顶空分析时,挥发性组分间的基质效应以及较为复杂的扩散和吸附过程,定量分析一直是SPME分析应用的难题。目标分析物的量看作是达到吸附平衡后单一萃取的物质量的总和,则无需考虑分析样品在顶空、萃取涂层间的分配,同时可以消除基质效应。在利用标准物质进行校正后只需要一次顶空萃取,即可求出分析物质的总量。首先利用DVB/CAR/PDMS定性得到拟南芥挥发性物质的组成,然后采用CAR/PDMS涂层定量,分析了拟南芥的3种绿叶挥发性物质,优化后萃取条件为40℃萃取20min,相对标准偏差小于12%,在3株植物样品中这些挥发性物质的量为78.6~158.4ng.g-1。     

Solid-phase microextraction for determining twelve orange flavour compounds in a model beverage emulsion

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography has been applied for the headspace analysis (HS) of 12 target flavour compounds in a model orange beverage emulsion. The main volatile flavour compounds studied were: acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, alpha-pinene, ethyl butyrate, beta-pinene, myrcene, limonene, gamma-terpinene, octanal, decanal, linalool and citral (neral plus geranial). After screening the fibre type, the effect of other HS-SPME variables such as adsorption temperature (25-55 degrees C), extraction time (10-40 min), sample concentration (1-100% w/w), sample amount (5-10 g) and salt amount (0-30% w/w) were determined using a two-level fractional factorial design (2(5-2)) that was expanded further to a central composite design. It was found that an extraction process using a carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane fibre coating at 15 masculineC for 50 min with 5 g of diluted emulsion 1% (w/w) and 30% (w/w) of sodium chloride under stirring mode resulted in the highest HS extraction efficiency. For all volatile flavour compounds, the linearity values were accurate in the concentration ranges studied (r(2) > 0.97). Average recoveries that ranged from 90.3 to 124.8% showed a good accuracy for the optimised method. The relative standard deviation for six replicates of all volatile flavour compounds was found to be less than 15%. For all volatile flavour compounds, the limit of detection ranged from 0.20 to 1.69 mg/L.     

Profiles of the Essential Oils and Headspace Analysis of Volatiles from Mandragora autumnalis Growing Wild in Tunisia

Mandragora autumnalis Bertol . (Solanaceae family), synonym of M. officinalis Mill ., occurs in North Africa and grows natively in Northern and Central Tunisia, in humid to sub‐arid climates. The ripe fruits of mandrake are odiferous with a particular, indescribable, specific odor, shared, to a lesser extent, by the leaves and roots. We carried out an investigation of the essential oils (EOs) and of the aromatic volatiles emitted by fresh leaves, roots and ripe fruits of M. autumnalis growing wild in Central Tunisia. The EOs were obtained from freshly collected plant material by hydrodistillation, while the volatile emissions from the powdered M. autumnalis tissues were sampled by headspace solid phase microextraction (HS‐SPME); both types of samples were analyzed by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Fifty‐one compounds representing 96.2–98.6 % of the total oil compositions were identified in the three tissues and belonged to different chemical classes specifically in 16 esters, 12 alcohols, 12 hydrocarbons, 6 ketones, 3 aldehydes and 3 acids. The main constituents were pentadecanoic acid (34.2 %) and hexadecanol (26.3 %). A total of 78 volatile compounds emanating from M. autumnalis tissues, representing 94.1–96.4 % of the total volatile compositions, were identified: 22 esters, 11 alcohols, 9 aldehydes, 14 ketones, 7 nitrogen, 10 hydrocarbons, 2 lactones, 1 sulfur and 2 ethers. Ethyl hexanoate (12.3 %) and 1,3‐butanediol (12.3 %) were at the highest relative percentages. This study characterizes and distinguishes M. autumnalis from Tunisia and attributes the compounds responsible for the intoxicating and particular odor of fruits. Chemosystematic of Mandragora autumnalis based on the identification of essential oils and headspace volatiles of each of its organ can be used to characterize this species according to its geographic distribution.     

An alternative method for irones quantification in iris rhizomes using headspace solid-phase microextraction

Introduction – The essential oil obtained from iris rhizomes is one of the most precious raw materials for the perfume industry. Its fragrance is due to irones that are gradually formed by oxidative degradation of iridals during rhizome ageing. Objective – The development of an alternative method allowing irone quantification in iris rhizomes using HS‐SPME‐GC. Methodology – The development of the method using HS‐SPME‐GC was achieved using the results obtained from a conventional method, i.e. a solid–liquid extraction (SLE) followed by irone quantification by CG. Results – Among several calibration methods tested, internal calibration gave the best results and was the least sensitive to the matrix effect. The proposed method using HS‐SPME‐GC is as accurate and reproducible as the conventional one using SLE. These two methods were used to monitor and compare irone concentrations in iris rhizomes that had been stored for 6 months to 9 years. Conclusion – Irone quantification in iris rhizome can be achieved using HS‐SPME‐GC. This method can thus be used for the quality control of the iris rhizomes. It offers the advantage of combining extraction and analysis with an automated device and thus allows a large number of rhizome batches to be analysed and compared in a limited amount of time. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reliable Methods for Analyses of Volatile Compounds of Copaifera Oleoresins Combining Headspace and Gas Chromatography

Two analytical methods were developed in this study for direct and fast chemical investigation of authentic Copaifera oleoresins (COR) and commercial products. Polydimethylsiloxane microfiber coupled to gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (HS‐SPME‐GC/MS) showed the best results for oleoresin qualitative analysis, setting the following extraction conditions: equilibrium time of 15 min, extraction time of 30 min, extraction temperature at 60 °C and constant stirring of 400 rpm. Sesquiterpenes α‐copaene, β‐elemene, β‐caryophyllene and trans‐α‐bergamotene were found in all investigated samples. Quantitative analysis by gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization detector (GC‐FID) measured the content of the four sesquiterpenes in all samples. Qualitative and quantitative results showed important differences between COR of distinct species and commercial products. Data regarding the volatile composition of C. oblongifolia and C. trapezifolia oleoresins were first presented in this study and two new analytical methods were reported for direct and fast qualitative and quantitative analysis of COR.     

Volatile Composition Screening of Salix spp. Nectar Honey: Benzenecarboxylic Acids,Norisoprenoids, Terpenes,and Others

Salix spp. nectar honey volatiles of Croatian origin were analyzed by headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) and ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE), followed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC, GC/MS). Isolated volatiles were found in the honey headspace and extracts with almost exclusive distribution of several abundant compounds (e.g., phenylacetic acid, pinocembrin, 8‐hydroxy‐4,7‐dimethylcoumarin, and 3‐hydroxy‐trans‐β‐damascone in the extracts, or safranal and lilac alcohols in the headspace). Comparison with Croatian Salix spp. honeydew honey revealed similarities regarding distribution of important shikimate pathway derivatives (e.g., high percentage of phenylacetic acid) and several norisoprenoids (α‐isophorone and 4‐oxoisophorone). On the other hand, distinct features of this honey were occurrence of compounds such as pinocembrin, 8‐hydroxy‐4,7‐dimethylcoumarin, phenylacetonitrile, norisoprenoids (major ones: 3‐hydroxy‐trans‐β‐damascenone and trans‐β‐damascone), more pronounced variability of linalool‐derived compounds, as well as the abundance of 3‐methylpropanoic acid, 3‐methylbutanoic acid, 2‐methylpentanoic acid, and 3‐methylpentan‐1‐ol.     

Volatile Compounds in Fruits of Peucedanum cervaria (Lap.) L.

The volatile compounds from Peucedanum cervaria (Lap. ) L. were obtained by hydrodistillation (HD) and headspace solid‐phase microextraction techniques (HS‐SPME), and then analyzed by GC/MS methods. The composition of samples from a botanical garden was compared with plants collected in the wild. The main compounds of the essential oils of P. cervaria were identified as α‐pinene, sabinene, and β‐pinene (more than 80% of oil). The content of β‐myrcene, limonene+β‐phellandrene, and germacrene D was higher than 1%. The in vitro antibacterial activity of the essential oil was evaluated by the agar dilution method against ten reference strains of Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria.     

Phytochemical Findings Evidencing Botanical Origin of New Propolis Type from North‐West Argentina

Propolis samples from north‐west Argentina (Amaicha del Valle, Tucumán) were evaluated by palynology, FT‐IR spectra, and RP‐HPTLC. In addition, the volatile fraction was studied by HS‐SPME‐GC/MS. The botanical species most visited by Apis mellifera L. near the apiaries were collected and their RP‐HPTLC extracts profiles were compared with propolis samples. In addition, GC/MS was performed for volatile compounds from Zuccagnia punctata Cav. (Fabaceae). FT‐IR spectra and RP‐HPTLC fingerprints of propolis samples showed similar profiles. In RP‐HPTLC analyses, only Z. punctata presented a similar fingerprint to Amaicha propolis. The major volatile compounds present in both were trans‐linalool oxide (furanoid), 6‐camphenone, linalool, trans‐pinocarveol, p‐cymen‐8‐ol, and 2,3,6‐trimethylbenzaldehyde. Potential variations for the Amaicha del Valle propolis volatile fraction as consequence of propolis sample preparation were demonstrated.