Abstract
Nosema ceranae is a widespread parasite responsible for nosemosis Type C in Apis mellifera honey bees, reducing colony survival. The antibiotic fumagillin is the only commercial treatment available, but concerns are emerging about its persistence, safety, and pathogen resistance. The use of natural substances from Brassicaceae defatted seed meals (DSMs) with known antimicrobial and antioxidant properties was explored. Artificially infected bees were fed for 8 days with candies enriched with two concentrations, 2% and 4%, of two DSMs from Brassica nigra and Eruca sativa, containing a known amount of different glucosinolates (GSLs). The food palatability, GSL intake, bee survival, and treatment effects on N. ceranae spore counts were evaluated. Food consumption was higher for the two 2% DSM patties, for both B. nigra and E. sativa, but the GSL intake did not increase by increasing DSM to 4%, due to the resulting lower palatability. The 2% B. nigra patty decreased the bee mortality, while the higher concentration had a toxic effect. The N. ceranae control was significant for all formulates with respect to the untreated control (312,192.6 +/− 14,443.4 s.e.), and was higher for 4% B. nigra (120,366.3 +/− 13,307.1 s.e.). GSL hydrolysis products, the isothiocyanates, were detected and quantified in bee gut tissues. Brassicaceae DSMs showed promising results for their nutraceutical and protective effects on bees artificially infected with N. ceranae spores at the laboratory level. Trials in the field should confirm these results.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilNosema ceranae is a honey bee pathogen that belongs to the Microsporidia class [1].Like other microsporidia, the N. ceranae is an obligate intracellular parasite able to colonize the midgut epithelium of Apis spp. [1,2]
The parasite is generally considered associated with the Asian honey bee Apis ceranae [3], but in the early 2000s, N. ceranae rapidly spread in the western honey bee Apis mellifera, causing nosemosis Type C [4,5,6]
The feedings were prepared with defatted seed meals (DSMs) from B. nigra and E. sativa, which were added in the proportion of 2% and 4% to commercial candy
Summary
Introduction published maps and institutional affilNosema ceranae is a honey bee pathogen that belongs to the Microsporidia class [1].Like other microsporidia, the N. ceranae is an obligate intracellular parasite able to colonize the midgut epithelium of Apis spp. [1,2]. The N. ceranae infection causes damage at the individual and colony level due to its increased energetic stress, reducing the lifespan, downregulating the genes involved in intestinal health and the absorption of nutritional compounds, inducing lethargic behavior with poor honey and pollen harvest, and suppressing the immune response, downregulating the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) [7,8,9,10,11,12,13] All of these factors are involved in the decline and collapse of honey bee colonies [7,14]. The only effective medicament against nosemosis is fumagillin, an antibiotic mycotoxin isolated from Aspergillus fumigatus, used for over iations
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
