Extraction of Tetragonula laeviceps Cerumen, Its Total Phenolic Content, and Antioxidant Activity

Cerumen is a major component of stingless bee nests and serves a function comparable to beeswax in honey bees, but it is made of both beeswax and plant resin. Cerumen contains biologically active compounds and offers multiple human health benefits, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Ethanol is commonly used as a solvent for the extraction of these biologically active compounds. In this study, an alternative solvent and maceration method for extracting active ingredients from cerumen was developed. Cerumen was extracted through the removal of beeswax and other contaminants. A solvent system consisting of olive oil, deionized water, polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400), and soy lecithin was used as the alternative extraction solvent. The effects of the maceration parameters, cerumen-solvent ratio, extraction time, and temperature on the extraction yield, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity were studied. The TPC and antioxidant activity were examined using the Folin-Ciocalteu (FC) and 1,1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) methods, respectively. The addition of PEG 400 aided in the extraction of biologically active compounds. The extraction time showed a significant effect on extract antioxidant activity, and the extraction temperature displayed a significant effect on TPC. There was no correlation between TPC and antioxidant activity. Cerumen extracted using our methods had properties comparable to ethanolic extracts. The optimal extraction conditions were obtained by adding 0.3% soy lecithin to the extraction parameters of a 1:10 cerumen extract-solvent ratio and extracting at 60 °C for 15 minutes.