Effect of alpha-linolenic acid on some productive and reproductive traits of the Iranian bee (Apis mellifara meda)

Abstract

The present study focused on evaluating the nutritional effects of different levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) on queen’s spawning, the estimation of adult and worker bee population, and the production of honey, body fat, and protein in Apis mellifara meda. In the early spring, a total of 25 honey bee colonies with similar conditions in terms of the quality and age of the queen, as well as the same population and the same amount of honey and pollen were selected in the colony. The selected queens were randomly divided between five experimental treatments to decrease the experimental error: group A (basal diet only – control), group B (basal diet plus 2% ALA), group C (basal diet plus 4% ALA), group D (basal diet plus 6% ALA) and group E (basal diet plus 8% ALA), respectively. The records by the general linear model procedure were statistically analyzed using SAS software. Based on the findings of this experiment, treatment C had the highest level of dietary consumption among treatments (p ˂ 0.05). In addition, the queen’s spawning, infant and adult bee populations, and honey production were remarkably higher in this treatment as compared to other treatments, while protein and body fat were significantly lower in this treatment in comparison with other treatment groups (p ˂ 0.05). Accordingly, adding 4% ALA to the diet could improve the function of reproductive and production traits in Apis mellifara meda.