Entomological origin detection of honey from Apis mellifera and Apis cerana javana in Indonesia based on the Major Royal Jelly Protein 2 (mrjp2) gene

Abstract

The entomological origin of honey was detected in the subtropical Apis cerana cerana using two sets of Major Royal Jelly Protein 2 (mrjp2) primers. Due to the high genetic divergence of A. cerana, this study aimed to confirm that the primers can be used to detect honey origin from A c. javana and Apis mellifera in Indonesia. The mrjp2 gene was amplified using M-F M-R and C-F C-R primers at various annealing temperatures to find the optimal temperature based on the presence-absence of the amplicon. Honey was successfully differentiated from 11 colonies of A. mellifera and A. c. javana using M-F and M-R primers at annealing temperatures of 50 °C, 53 °C, 55 °C, 57 °C, and 59 °C. However, caution should be placed on using these primers when used to amplify A. cerana at 47 °C. This study confirmed that C-F and C-R primers are specifically applicable when amplifying A. c. javana.

Keywords:

• Apis cerana
• Apis mellifera
• entomological detection
• honey
• honey authentication
• Major Royal Jelly Protein 2 gene

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all the beekeepers: Abdullah, Dianita Kusumawadhani Kartika, Oyib, Suminta, and Wasis Handoko for collecting honey and conducting bee sampling for this research.

Disclosure statement

We declare that there is no potential conflict of interest with other authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by The Ministry of Research and Technology/National Research and Innovation Agency (Indonesia) [Kementerian Riset Teknologi Dan Pendidikan Tinggi Republik Indonesia]. The research grant for the first author is entitled “Entomological detection of Apis cerana and Apis mellifera honey based on Major Royal Jelly Protein 2 gene”; DNA Barcode No: 4049/IT3.L1/PN/2020.