Light Exposure Predominantly Drives Volatile Profile Changes in Royal Jelly During Short-Term Storage as Revealed by...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Bee Product Research

Background:

• Royal jelly is a nutrient-dense bee product prone to storage-induced quality loss.
• Temperature effects on royal jelly degradation are known, but light's impact is understudied.
• Light exposure is relevant throughout royal jelly's supply chain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically investigate the impact of light exposure on royal jelly's volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• To identify key VOC markers associated with light-induced quality changes in royal jelly.
• To provide insights for optimizing royal jelly storage and quality control.

Main Methods:

• Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) was used to analyze VOCs.
• Dual-column validation and multivariate statistical analysis were employed.
• Royal jelly samples were stored under different light and temperature conditions.

Main Results:

• Short-term light exposure at 25 °C significantly altered royal jelly's VOC profile.
• Off-flavor aldehydes (hexanal, nonanal) and ketones accumulated under light.
• Fresh-aroma esters and alcohols were depleted, and 2-furfural increased due to Maillard reactions.
• Light exposure was identified as the primary driver of early volatile changes, more so than temperature variations in the dark.

Conclusions:

• Light is a critical factor in the early quality deterioration of royal jelly.
• Specific VOCs can serve as markers for light-induced degradation.
• Findings support improved storage strategies and rapid quality monitoring for royal jelly.