Abstract
The effects of veterinary drugs, dietary supplements and non-protein amino acids on the European honey bee (Apis mellifera ligustica Spinola, 1806) ventriculum microbial profile were investigated. Total viable aerobic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, staphylococci, Escherichia coli, lactic acid bacteria, Pseudomonas spp., aerobic bacterial endospores and Enterococcus spp. were determined using a culture-based method. Two veterinary drugs (Varromed® and Api-Bioxal®), two commercial dietary supplements (ApiHerb® and ApiGo®) and two non-protein amino acids (GABA and beta-alanine) were administered for one week to honey bee foragers reared in laboratory cages. After one week, E. coli and Staphylococcus spp. were significantly affected by the veterinary drugs (p < 0.001). Furthermore, dietary supplements and non-protein amino acids induced significant changes in Staphylococcus spp., E. coli and Pseudomonas spp. (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the results of this investigation showed that the administration of the veterinary drugs, dietary supplements and non-protein amino acids tested, affected the ventriculum microbiological profile of Apis mellifera ligustica.
Highlights
A decline in the honey bee population is threatening both pollination service and the beekeeping industry globally [1,2]
In light of the increasing use of dietary supplements and veterinary drugs in apiculture, the aim of this study was to investigate the modifications in the viable intestinal microbial community of the worker honey bee fed with (i) commercial veterinary drugs containing oxalic acid and formic acid, (ii) commercial dietary supplements containing yeasts and vitamins or herbal natural extracts and (iii) non-protein amino acids, Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and beta-alanine
The Staphylococcus spp. and E. coli amounts were not affected after one week of the C diet (p = 0.932 and p = 0.887, respectively), on the contrary, both the tested veterinary drugs statistically influenced both parameters (p = 0.019 and p < 0.001 for Staphylococcus spp. and p = 0.016 and p = 0.022 for Escherichia coli, for, respectively, VM and AB)
Summary
A decline in the honey bee population is threatening both pollination service and the beekeeping industry globally [1,2]. Honey bee colony losses are related to several causes, including habitat modifications, the massive use of agrochemicals, bacterial and parasitic diseases, climate changes, and multifactorial interactions [2,3,4]. A key role of gut microorganisms in animal health and welfare has been documented in mammals and in insects [5,6]. The literature provides evidence that the midgut microbiota of eusocial bees, namely honey bees and bumblebees, plays an important role in protecting adults against pathogens [7,8,9,10,11].
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