Abstract
Commercially and traditionally managed bees were compared for oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and malondialdehyde (MDA)), the prevalence of parasites (Lotmaria passim, Crithidia mellificae and Nosema ceranae/apis) and social immunity (glucose oxidase gene expression). The research was conducted on Pester plateau (Serbia—the Balkan Peninsula), on seemingly healthy colonies. Significant differences in CAT, GST and SOD activities (p < 0.01), and MDA concentrations (p < 0.002) were detected between commercial and traditional colonies. In the former, the prevalence of both L. passim and N. ceranae was significantly (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively) higher. For the first time, L. passim was detected in honey bee brood. In commercial colonies, the prevalence of L. passim was significantly (p < 0.01) lower in brood than in adult bees, whilst in traditionally kept colonies the prevalence in adult bees and brood did not differ significantly. In commercially kept colonies, the GOX gene expression level was significantly (p < 0.01) higher, which probably results from their increased need to strengthen their social immunity. Commercially kept colonies were under higher oxidative stress, had higher parasite burdens and higher GOX gene transcript levels. It may be assumed that anthropogenic influence contributed to these differences, but further investigations are necessary to confirm that.
Highlights
It has recently been shown that commercially kept Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 colonies in standard hives are more burdened both with bee brood pathogens (Paenibacillus larvae, Melissococcus plutonius, Ascosphaera apis and sacbrood virus—SBV) and adult bee pathogens than their counterparts kept traditionally in so-called trmka hives [1]
It is considered that the primary response of bees to infection is the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are produced in physiological processes and take part in defence against infective agents
Owing to the great scarcity of the data on the differences in the prevalence of certain infections, oxidative stress parameters and glucose oxidase (GOX) gene expression between bee colonies kept traditionally and those kept for commercial purposes, this work was aimed at the assessment of (1) oxidative stress parameters (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and malondialdehyde (MDA)), (2) GOX) gene expression and (3) endoparasite prevalence in adult bees in the two types of hives
Summary
It has recently been shown that commercially kept Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 colonies in standard hives are more burdened both with bee brood pathogens (Paenibacillus larvae, Melissococcus plutonius, Ascosphaera apis and sacbrood virus—SBV) and adult bee pathogens (deformed wing virus—DWV, chronic bee paralysis virus—CBPV and acute bee paralysis virus—ABPV) than their counterparts kept traditionally in so-called trmka hives [1]. There was other research on health status and pathogen loads of feral vs commercial (managed) colonies [2,3,4,5] but the results are not consistent. It is considered that the primary response of bees to infection is the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are produced in physiological processes and take part in defence against infective agents. In cases of hyperproduction of ROS or decreased antioxidative defence, a condition known as oxidative stress develops. Given that the values of the oxidative stress parameters may significantly change due to the invasion of pathogens, their assessment may be a useful marker of the efficacy of defence mechanisms [8,9]. It is to be emphasised that there are few papers on the oxidative profile of bees infected with pathogens [9,10]
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