Hydroxy Fatty Acid Synthesis-Related mRNA as the Biomarker for Detecting Mislabeling of Honey Entomological Origin

The authentication of the entomological origin of honey is a widespread concern, necessitating the prompt establishment of an effective approach for distinguishing between Apis cerana cerana honey (ACH) and Apis mellifera ligustica honey (AMH). Hydroxy fatty acids (HFAs) found in honey are bee-derived components synthesized by the mandibular glands of worker bees. We previously discovered significant variations in the hydroxy fatty acid composition between ACH and AMH, suggesting their potential as indicators for identifying the authenticity of the entomological origin of honey. Herein, we identified differentially expressed genes associated with HFA synthesis by conducting transcriptome sequencing of the mandibular glands of AC and AM honeybees. Subsequently, we proposed a method for the relative quantitative analysis of bee-derived RNA components using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction, which was supplemented by multivariate statistical analysis to further discern differences in HFA synthesis-related mRNA between ACH and AMH. The results showed that the mRNAs of FAXDC2 (fatty acid hydroxylase domain-containing protein 2) and FAS (fatty acid synthase) may serve as indicators to discern the entomological origin of honey. This study presents two novel biomarkers for detecting mislabeling of the entomological origin in ACH and AMH based on variations in bee-derived components.