# A Preliminary Study on the Effects of Fanfengling Dietary Supplement on Gut Antioxidant Capacity and Metabolomic Profile in Apis mellifera

## TL;DR

This study shows that the dietary supplement Fanfengling improves gut health and metabolism in honeybees during a stressful spring period.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates that Fanfengling enhances antioxidant capacity and energy metabolism in honeybees, offering a natural tool for apiculture.

## Key findings

- Fanfengling boosts antioxidant defenses and energy metabolism in honeybees.
- Metabolomic analysis revealed significant changes in compounds like hypoxanthine and quercetin 3-O-glucoside.
- Dosing intervals affected physiological markers like ALP and T-AOC differently.

## Abstract

This preliminary study investigated the effects of the dietary supplement Fanfengling on honeybee gut health during the critical spring brood-rearing period. We found that Fanfengling enhances antioxidant capacity and optimizes energy metabolism in honeybees, thereby improving their resilience to environmental stressors. These findings provide scientific support for the application of Fanfengling as a natural management tool to promote colony health in apiculture.

Honeybees experience significant physiological stress during spring brood-rearing due to fluctuating temperatures and forage scarcity, leading to oxidative damage and metabolic disruption. This study evaluated the effects of the dietary supplement Fanfengling on gut antioxidant capacity and metabolism in Apis mellifera during this critical period. Using physiological assays and LC-QTOF metabolomics, we measured key markers including SOD, SDH, ALP, T-AOC, and MDA. Metabolomic analysis detected 22,377 peaks and annotated 2799 metabolites, with significant alterations in hypoxanthine, delphinidin, and quercetin 3-O-glucoside. Enriched KEGG pathways included glutathione metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and ether lipid metabolism. Physiologically, Fanfengling enhanced antioxidant and energy metabolic status: Group B (dosed every 21 days) showed peak ALP and SDH/SOD activities, while Group A (dosed every other day) achieved the highest T-AOC. These results indicate that Fanfengling mitigates spring-induced oxidative stress by boosting antioxidant defenses and optimizing energy metabolism, supporting its potential use in apicultural health management.