Abstract
Western honey bees (Apis mellifera), a cornerstone to crop pollination in the U.S., are faced with an onslaught of challenges from diseases caused by parasites, pathogens, and pests that affect this economically valuable pollinator. Natural products (NPs), produced by living organisms, including plants and microorganisms, can support health and combat disease in animals. NPs include both native extracts and individual compounds that can reduce disease impacts by supporting immunity or directly inhibiting pathogens, pests, and parasites. Herein, we describe the screening of NPs in laboratory cage studies for their effects on honey bee disease prevention and control. Depending on the expected activity of compounds, we measured varied responses, including viral levels, honey bee immune responses, and symbiotic bacteria loads. Of the NPs screened, several compounds demonstrated beneficial activities in honey bees by reducing levels of the critical honey bee virus deformed wing virus (DWV-A and-B), positively impacting the gut microbiome or stimulating honey bee immune responses. Investigations of the medicinal properties of NPs in honey bees will contribute to a better understanding of their potential to support honey bee immunity to fight off pests and pathogens and promote increased overall honey bee health. These investigations will also shed light on the ecological interactions between pollinators and specific floral food sources.
Highlights
Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) contribute over $34B to the U.S economy via agricultural crops [1] that are completely or largely dependent on honey bees for pollination
We describe the effects of natural products on honey bee gene expression and levels of symbiotic gut bacteria
Raw cacao had significant effects on the level of both deformed wing virus (DWV) and Varroa destructor virus (VDV) when bees were supplemented with these Natural products (NPs)
Summary
Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) contribute over $34B to the U.S economy via agricultural crops [1] that are completely or largely dependent on honey bees for pollination. The honey bee pathosphere [2] is a collection of parasites and pathogens, including mites, viruses, bacteria, fungi, microsporidian parasites, protozoa, and others that affect honey bee productivity, physiology, and behavior. This increases beekeeper costs due to high demands for disease and pest management, as well as the loss of marketable products and services [3]. Other parasites affecting bee health include Nosema ceranae and Nosema apis (gut fungal microsporidian parasites) and the trypanosome Lotmaria passim (unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoon) [12] The result of these infections is lack of worker productivity at the colony level, which affects hive resources and reproduction as colony size decreases. This survey helps refine promising routes for understanding honey bee floral choices [41], along with choices for new treatment strategies
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