Enantioselective migration, degradation, and metabolism of pyriproxyfen and its metabolites from tea garden to cup.

Pyriproxyfen is widely used in agricultural production and public health prevention. However, its enantioselective behaviors throughout tea processing remain poorly understood. In this study, a chiral UHPLC-MS/MS method was developed for the enantiomeric analysis of pyriproxyfen and its three metabolites during tea production. Key processing procedures, including rolling, withering, and drying, significantly affected the enantioselective degradation of pyriproxyfen enantiomers. Meanwhile, chiral metabolites presented distinct enantioselective characteristics during green tea and black tea processing. Notably, the metabolites showed differential leaching behaviors: 4'-OH-Pyr and DPH-Pyr possessed much higher leaching rates (23.8% and 98.0%, respectively) than pyriproxyfen, which may raise potential dietary intake risks. Furthermore, molecular docking results revealed that (-)-pyriproxyfen, (+)-5″-OH-Pyr, and (+)-DPH-Pyr exhibited stronger binding affinity to JHBP than their respective enantiomers. Nevertheless, the potential dietary intake risk of pyriproxyfen enantiomers from tea consumption was assessed to be negligible, posing no notable hazard to human health. Collectively, this study provides critical insights for improving pesticide residue management strategies and safeguarding the safety of tea products.