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

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.