Two commercial samples of Royal Jelly sold in Chile, consisting of two imported sample and another sample of known origin obtained freshly harvested from beekeepers were analyzed. The application of capillary electrophoresis (CE) for the separation and determination of the active compound, 10 hydroxy -2 -decenoic acid, in Royal Jelly (RJ) in a capillary column with UV detection at 214 nm is described. In addition, the physicochemical composition of commercial samples was analyzed by determining moisture, ash, lipid and other properties. The importance of determining the 10-HDA acid lies in the fact that it is the main difference between Royal Jelly and the other bee products, i.e., it is what confers this product its unique characteristics, generating a marked difference. Therefore, a low 10-HDA content implies a low Royal Jelly activity, ascribed to decomposition, poor quality, or something else to the commercialization of a product other than Royal Jelly. This determination was conducted by comparison with a pure 10-HDA standard.

Se describe e ilustra Erythroxylum riverae, una especie nueva del norte de la cordillera Oriental colombiana, en los departamentos de Santander y Norte de Santander. Se discute su circunscripción taxonómica y las particularidades de esta especie en cuanto a su hábitat y morfología.

Erythroxylum riverae, a new species from the northern region of the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia, departments of Santander and Norte de Santander, is described and illustrated. The taxonomic circumscription, habitat and morphology are discussed.

Se describe e ilustra Erythroxylum jaimei Jara, una especie que habita en los enclaves áridos del alto río Patía, entre los departamentos colombianos de Cauca y Nariño. Además, se incluye una clave para las cinco especies de Erythroxylum que crecen en zonas secas de Colombia y que frecuentemente han presentado dificultades en su determinación.

A new species of Erythroxylum (Erythroxylum jaimei Jara) is described from the arid zones of the upper Patía River in the south of Colombia, between Cauca and Nariño departaments. Included is a key to five species of Erythroxylum that occur in arid zones of Colombia and that have frequently been confused with one another.

A comparison of the phenolic content of several Chilean honeys showed great variations in flavonoid concentration among the samples analysed. Higher amounts of phenolics are found in honey from dry climates. The antioxidant effect of extracts, using ORAC analysis, did not correlate with the flavonoid content or with the total phenolic concentration.