For over a decade, NaturaNectar has maintained a quality strategy based on traceability and analytical science. One of the pillars of this strategy is the partnership with the Laboratory of Flavor and Chromatographic Analysis (LAF) attached to the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS), Brazil.

It was initiated in the year 2013 with a focus on the quantitative and qualitative characterization of propolis extracts used by the NaturaNectar, particularly in the proprietary FLAV and PWE extracts.

Working with propolis requires special attention: it is a natural matrix with chemical variation between batches and collection conditions. In this scenario, LAF's work contributes to NaturaNectar having continuous technical support for batch comparison, monitoring of chemical markers, verification of chemical profile consistency, and support for the standardization of internal quality criteria. In practice, this workflow allows for the interpretation of natural variations in the raw material based on data generation, preserving the traceability and quality in the final finished products.

From a technical point of view, the partnership benefits from an excellent analytical environment with a tradition in chromatography and quality control procedures. The LAF is equipped with modern sophisticated instruments of gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) , liquid chromatography conjunctions with various detectors such as mass spectrometer, Time of Flight mass spectrometer etc.

The laboratory is led by me, Prof. Dr. Narendra Narain (Research Project Supervisor, also a member of NaturaNectar's Scientific Advisory Board) while the analytical work on propolis samples is conducted by Christean Oliveira (Research Analyst), responsible for performing laboratory analyses, data processing, and developing technical discussions that support the interpretations and comparisons between the samples. Within this scope, high performance liquid chromatography is employed as a central tool to monitor chemical profiles of organic compounds markers of interest, offering an objective basis for decisions related to quality and standardization in product manufacture. 

Over the years, this cooperation has generated contributions for both parties: for NaturaNectar, it strengthens a data-driven evaluation routine applied to quality control and batch performance; for LAF/UFS, it consolidates applied research in a matrix with technological and industrial relevance, where partnerships of this type strengthen the interface between university and company, having a direct impact on the consistency, reliability of the work developed with propolis samples and in the maintenance of high quality standards in propolis products manufactured by NaturaNectar.

Through more than a decade of collaboration, the LAF team have demonstrated that rigorous scientific methodology is not merely a quality assurance tool—it is the foundation upon which consumer trust is built. By bridging the gap between academic excellence and commercial responsibility, this partnership exemplifies how universities and industry can work together to elevate natural products to the highest standards of purity and efficacy, ensuring that every bottle of NaturaNectar propolis reflects both the wisdom of nature and the precision of science.

Professor Dr. Narendra Narain

Laboratory FLAVOR, Federal University of Sergipe, Brasil