Study of the distribution and depletion of chloramphenicol residues in bee products extracted from treated honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies

Bee colonies were dosed with chloramphenicol (CAP) 1.0 g per hive (single dose in sucrose solution). Samples of honey were then collected at intervals over a 48-week period and samples of royal jelly, beeswax, honeybees and brood collected at intervals over a 12 week period. The mean concentration of CAP in the honey at 7 days after dosing was 26 μg/g, declining to 1.0 μg/g at 332 days. Application of the shook swarm procedure resulted in a mean concentration of CAP in honey of 26 μg/g at 7 days, declining to 0.1 μg/g at 332 days. The mean concentration of CAP in non-honey samples was in the range of 0.5 to 6.8 μg/g, and 0.2 to 3.3 μg/g at 7 days and 56 days, respectively. These results indicate that use of CAP can be detected up to 332 days after dosing even if the shook swarm procedure is used in an attempt to clean the hives. There was no evidence of any significant formation of bound CAP-glucose conjugates in honey.