Biological Observation and Multi-omics Analysis Reveal the Toxicity of the Bioinsecticide Matrine to Honeybees (Apis cerana)

Honeybees are important pollinators that enhance food safety and promote biodiversity. However, honeybees are increasingly threatened by insecticide use. Matrine, a plant-derived insecticide, has been used in plants, such as pear trees, citrus, and cotton whose flowers are a honey source. Despite matrine’s economic significance, its impact on bees is rarely reported. In this study, honeybees (Apis cerana) were exposed to three concentrations (1.2, 10, and 40 mg/L) of matrine. Continuous matrine intake caused rapid death of honeybees on day 9 but had no significant effect on food consumption and body weight of the honeybees. Matrine intake caused changes in the abundance of Gilliamella, Dorea, and Lachnoclostridium in gut microbiota, resulting in the differential expression of argininosuccinic acid, spermidine, arachidonic acid, and LOC107998471 (Aldh). This finding underscored the role of these microbiotas, metabolites, and genes in honeybees under matrine stress. This study provides a comprehensive explanation of matrine toxicity to honeybees and reveals the crucial microbiota, metabolites, and genes. These findings provide important references for honeybee poisoning and the associated detoxification mechanism.