Fraudulent acts regarding honey authenticity that use Apis mellifera honey as a substitute for Apis cerana honey have garnered considerable concern in China and triggered a trust crisis from consumers. In this study, untargeted metabolomics analysis was carried out based on volatile fractions in honey from A. cerana and A. mellifera using headspace gas chromatography−ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS). Honey from A. cerana and A. mellifera was discriminated by HS-GC-IMS profiling, principal component analysis, and orthogonal partial least-squares discrimination analysis. Tentative markers were identified from p-values and the variable importance in projection analysis and confirmed using the retention index, mass fragments, and reference standards by gas chromatography−mass spectrometry (GC−MS). A targeted method was established using the headspace solid phase coupled with microextraction GC−MS (HS-SPME-GC−MS) to quantitate the markers. The results demonstrated that the developed untargeted and targeted metabolomics approach performed well when discriminating honey from A. cerana and A. mellifera.
Neonicotinoids are the most widely
used insecticides worldwide,
but there is mounting evidence demonstrating that they have adverse
effects on nontarget organisms. However, little is known about the
extent of environmental neonicotinoids contamination in China. In
this study, a total of 693 honey samples from across China, from both Apis melifera and Apis cerana, were analyzed
to examine neonicotinoid concentrations and their geographical distribution,
and correlation with the primary plant species from which the honey
was obtained. Furthermore, chronic and acute exposure risk and risk
ranking for humans eating honey were investigated, and risks to bees
were also considered. The results revealed that 40.8% of the samples
contained at least one of the five neonicotinoids tested. Honeys from
commercial crops were found to be more frequently contaminated with
neonicotinoids than those from noncommercial crops. Honey samples
from Apis mellifera were more frequently contaminated
than those from Apis cerana. The concentrations of
neonicotinoids found in honey overlapped with those that have been
found to have significant adverse effects on honeybee health. The
dietary risk assessments indicated that the levels of neonicotinoids
detected in honey were likely to be safe for human consumption.
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