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

Royal jelly, a nutrient-rich bee product characterized by high water content and active components, is particularly susceptible to quality deterioration during storage. While temperature effects have been extensively documented, the specific role of light exposure in quality degradation remains largely unexplored. despite its relevance during production, handling, transportation, and display. This study systematically investigated the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of royal jelly under different storage conditions using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) combined with fingerprint analysis. Results from dual-column validation demonstrated that even short-term light exposure at 25 °C induced pronounced alterations in VOC profiles, triggering the accumulation of off-flavor aldehydes (e.g., hexanal, nonanal) and ketones, along with 2-furfural generated via Maillard reaction. Concurrently, characteristic fresh-aroma esters and alcohols were significantly depleted. Multivariate statistical analysis confirmed light exposure as the predominant factor driving quality deterioration, with temperature variation under dark conditions producing comparatively minor effects within the same short timeframe. This work provides the first systematic evidence establishing insights into early volatile changes in royal jelly and identifies key VOC markers that offer valuable insights for optimizing storage strategies and developing rapid quality monitoring protocols.