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Bryś MS, Staniec B, Strachecka A. The effect of pollen monodiets on fat body morphology parameters and energy substrate levels in the fat body and hemolymph of Apis mellifera L. workers. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15177. [PMID: 38956174 PMCID: PMC11219722 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64598-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Human activities associated with large-scale farms and the monocultures expose honey bees to one type of food. Moreover, there is an ongoing decline of plant species producing pollen and nectar in Europe. A poorly balanced diet affects a number of processes occurring in a bee's body. The fat body and hemolymph are the tissues that participate in all of them. Therefore, the aim of our study was to determine the effect of hazel, pine, rapeseed, buckwheat, phacelia and goldenrod pollen on the morphological parameters of fat body trophocytes, the diameters of cell nuclei in oenocytes and the concentrations of compounds involved in energy metabolism (glucose, glycogen, triglycerides and protein). In the cage tests, the bees were fed from the first day of life with sugar candy (control group) or candy with a 10% addition of one of the 6 pollen types. Hemolymph and fat body from various locations were collected from 1-, 7- and 14-day-old workers. Pollen produced by plant species such as hazel and pine increased glucose concentrations in the bee tissues, especially in the hemolymph. It can therefore be concluded that they are valuable sources of energy (in the form of simple carbohydrates) which are quickly used by bees. Pollen from plants blooming in the summer and autumn increased the concentrations of proteins, glycogen and triglycerides in the fat body, especially that from the third tergite. The accumulation of these compounds was associated with an increased the length and width of trophocytes as well as with enhanced metabolic activity, which was evidenced in the increasing diameter of oenocyte cell nuclei. It seems a balanced multi-pollen diet is more valuable for bees, but it is important to understand the effects of the particular pollen types in the context of a mono-diet. In the future, this will make it possible to produce mixtures that can ensure homeostasis in the apian body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Sylwester Bryś
- Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Bernard Staniec
- Departament of Zoology and Nature Protection, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| | - Aneta Strachecka
- Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
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Kostić AŽ, Arserim-Uçar DK, Materska M, Sawicka B, Skiba D, Milinčić DD, Pešić MB, Pszczółkowski P, Moradi D, Ziarati P, Bienia B, Barbaś P, Sudagıdan M, Kaur P, Sharifi-Rad J. Unlocking Quercetin's Neuroprotective Potential: A Focus on Bee-Collected Pollen. Chem Biodivers 2024; 21:e202400114. [PMID: 38386539 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202400114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
In the quest to evade side effects associated with synthetic drugs, mankind is continually exploring natural sources. In recent decades, neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) have surged dramatically compared to other human diseases. Flavonoids, naturally occurring compounds, have emerged as potential preventers of NDD development. Notably, quercetin and its derivatives demonstrated excellent antioxidant properties in the fight against NDDs. Recognizing bee-collected pollen (BP) as a well-established excellent source of quercetin and its derivatives, this review seeks to consolidate available data on the prevalence of this flavonoid in BP, contingent upon its botanical and geographical origins. It aims to advocate for BP as a superb natural source of "drugs" that could serve as preventative measures against NDDs. Examination of numerous published articles, detailing the phenolic profile of BP, suggests that it can be a great source of quercetin, with an average range of up to 1000 mg/kg. In addition to quercetin, 24 derivatives (with rutin being the most predominant) have been identified. Theoretical calculations, based on the recommended dietary intake for quercetin, indicate that BP can fulfil from 0.1 to over 100 % of the requirement, depending on BP's origin and bioaccessibility/bioavailability during digestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandar Ž Kostić
- Chair of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11080, Belgrade
| | - Dılhun Keriman Arserim-Uçar
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Bingöl University, Bingöl, 12000, Türkiye
| | - Małgorzata Materska
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 15 Street, 20-950, Lublin, Poland
| | - Barbara Sawicka
- Department of Plant Production Technology and Commodities Science, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-950, Lublin, Poland
| | - Dominika Skiba
- Department of Plant Production Technology and Commodities Science, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-950, Lublin, Poland
| | - Danijel D Milinčić
- Chair of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11080, Belgrade
| | - Mirjana B Pešić
- Chair of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11080, Belgrade
| | - Piotr Pszczółkowski
- Experimental Department of Cultivar Assessment, Research Centre for Cultivar Testing, Uhnin, 21-211, Dębowa Kłoda, Poland
| | - Donya Moradi
- Nutrition and Food Sciences Research Center, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parisa Ziarati
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bernadetta Bienia
- Food Production and Safety Department, National Academy of Applied Sciences, Rynek 1 str., 38-400, Krosno, Poland
| | - Piotr Barbaś
- Department Agronomy of Potato, Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute - National Research Institute, Branch Jadwisin, 05-140, Serock, Poland
| | - Mert Sudagıdan
- Kit-ARGEM R&D Center, Konya Food and Agriculture University, Meram, 42080, Konya, Türkiye
| | - Preetinder Kaur
- Department of Processing and Food Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141004, Punjab
| | - Javad Sharifi-Rad
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Azuay, 14-008, Cuenca, Ecuador
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Bryś MS, Strachecka A. The Key Role of Amino Acids in Pollen Quality and Honey Bee Physiology-A Review. Molecules 2024; 29:2605. [PMID: 38893480 PMCID: PMC11173770 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
When studying honey bee nutrition, it is important to pay attention not only to the quantity but also to the quality of pollen for floral visitors. The recommended way to determine the value of pollen is to determine both the protein concentration and the amino acid composition in the insect's hemolymph. In addition, the composition of pollen also includes lipids, sterols and biogenic elements such as carbon, nitrogen, etc. Very high protein concentration is observed in aloe pollen, averaging 51%. Plants with a high protein content, at the level of 27% in Europe, are rapeseed and phacelia. In turn, a plant that is poor in protein (at the level of 11%) is buckwheat. The aforementioned plants are sown over very large areas. Vast acreages in Central and Eastern Europe are occupied by pollen- and nectar-providing invasive plants, such as goldenrod. Therefore, bees are forced to use one food source-a mono diet-which results in their malnutrition. In the absence of natural pollen, beekeepers use other foods for bees; including soy protein, powdered milk, egg yolks, fish meal, etc. However, the colony is the strongest when bees are fed with pollen, as opposed to artificial protein diets. More research is needed on the relationship between bee pollen composition and nutrition, as measured by protein concentration and amino acid composition in apian hemolymph, colony strength, honey yield and good overwintering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Sylwester Bryś
- Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Doświadczalna 50a, 20-280 Lublin, Poland;
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Jaremek M, Olszewski K, Chobotow J, Strachecka A. The Morphological Image of Fat Body and Tergal Gland Cells in Uninseminated Apis mellifera Queen Bees. INSECTS 2024; 15:244. [PMID: 38667374 PMCID: PMC11050307 DOI: 10.3390/insects15040244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The morphological changes in fat body cells, tergal gland cells, and the surface areas of the cell nuclei were determined in queen bees of the subspecies Apis mellifera carnica. This study focused on 1-, 8-, and 20-day-old uninseminated females kept in colonies, analyzing cells from three locations in the abdomen: the sternite, and tergites III and V. The oenocytes in the sternites were large, oval/circular with a centrally located nucleus, while in tergites III and V, they were small and triangular in the 1-day-old queens. During the first week of life, these cells in tergites III and V change their shape to oval and increase their sizes. The initially light yellow and then dark yellow granularities in the oenocytes of the fat body appear along with the advancing age of the queens. The trophocytes (sternites, tergites III and V) in the 1-day-old queens were completely filled with droplets of different sizes. In the 8- and 20-day-old queens, the number and size of the droplets decreased in the trophocytes of tergites III and V. The tergal gland cells had a centrally located cell nucleus in the 1-, 8- and 20-day-old queens. The dark granularities in these cells were visible only in the 20-day-old queens. Different morphological images of the fat body at the sternite, and tergites III and V, and the difference in the size of the oenocyte cell nuclei may indicate various functions of the fat body depending on its location. Characterization of the changes in the morphology of the fat body, taking into account its segmental character, and the tergal glands requires further research in older queens, e.g., one-year-old, brooding queens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Jaremek
- Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology, Faculty of Environmental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Doświadczalna 50a, 20-280 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Krzysztof Olszewski
- Subdepartment of Apidology, Institute of Biological Basis of Animal Production, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Jacek Chobotow
- Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-400 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Aneta Strachecka
- Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology, Faculty of Environmental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Doświadczalna 50a, 20-280 Lublin, Poland;
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Oliveira Orsi R, Zaluski R, de Barros LC, Barraviera B, Pimenta DC, Ferreira Junior RS. Standardized guidelines for Africanized honeybee venom production needed for development of new apilic antivenom. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2024; 27:73-90. [PMID: 38247328 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2023.2300786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Africanized bees have spread across the Americas since 1956 and consequently resulted in human and animal deaths attributed to massive attacks related to exposure from Argentina to the USA. In Brazil, more than 100,000 accidents were registered in the last 5 years with a total of 303 deaths. To treat such massive attacks, Brazilian researchers developed the first specific antivenom against Africanized honey bee sting exposure. This unique product, the first of its kind in the world, has been safely tested in 20 patients during a Phase 2 clinical trial. To develop the antivenom, a standardized process was undertaken to extract primary venom antigens from the Africanized bees for immunization of serum-producing horses. This process involved extracting, purifying, fractionating, characterizing, and identifying the venom (apitoxin) employing mass spectrometry to generate standardized antigen for hyperimmunization of horses using the major toxins (melittin and its isoforms and phospholipase A2). The current guide describes standardization of the entire production chain of venom antigens in compliance with good manufacturing practices (GMP) required by regulatory agencies. Emphasis is placed upon the welfare of bees and horses during this process, as well as the development of a new biopharmaceutical to ultimately save lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Oliveira Orsi
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences (FMVZ), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Animal Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Animal Sciences (FMVZ), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Zaluski
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Luciana Curtolo de Barros
- Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals (CEVAP), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Benedito Barraviera
- Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals (CEVAP), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Tropical Diseases, Botucatu Medical School (FMB), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Clinical Research, Botucatu Medical School (FMB) and CEVAP, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Daniel Carvalho Pimenta
- Graduate Program in Tropical Diseases, Botucatu Medical School (FMB), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Butantan Institute (BI), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rui Seabra Ferreira Junior
- Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals (CEVAP), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Tropical Diseases, Botucatu Medical School (FMB), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Clinical Research, Botucatu Medical School (FMB) and CEVAP, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
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Martins AC, Proença CEB, Vasconcelos TNC, Aguiar AJC, Farinasso HC, de Lima ATF, Faria JEQ, Norrana K, Costa MBR, Carvalho MM, Dias RL, Bustamante MMC, Carvalho FA, Keller A. Contrasting patterns of foraging behavior in neotropical stingless bees using pollen and honey metabarcoding. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14474. [PMID: 37660141 PMCID: PMC10475120 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41304-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Stingless bees are major flower visitors in the tropics, but their foraging preferences and behavior are still poorly understood. Studying stingless bee interactions with angiosperms is methodologically challenging due to the high tropical plant diversity and inaccessibility of upper canopy flowers in forested habitats. Pollen DNA metabarcoding offers an opportunity of assessing floral visitation efficiently and was applied here to understand stingless bee floral resources spectra and foraging behavior. We analyzed pollen and honey from nests of three distantly related stingless bee species, with different body size and social behavior: Melipona rufiventris, Scaptotrigona postica and Tetragonisca angustula. Simultaneously, we evaluate the local floristic components through seventeen rapid botanical surveys conducted at different distances from the nests. We discovered a broad set of explored floral sources, with 46.3 plant species per bee species in honey samples and 53.67 in pollen samples. Plant families Myrtaceae, Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Melastomataceae and Malpighiaceae dominated the records, indicating stingless bee preferences for abundant resources that flowers of these families provide in the region. Results also reinforce the preference of stingless bees for forest trees, even if only available at long distances. Our high-resolution results encourage future bee-plant studies using pollen and honey metabarcoding in hyper-diverse tropical environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline C Martins
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Carolyn E B Proença
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Thais N C Vasconcelos
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Antonio J C Aguiar
- Laboratório de Abelhas, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Hannah C Farinasso
- Laboratório de Abelhas, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Aluisio T F de Lima
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Jair E Q Faria
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Krissya Norrana
- Laboratório de Abelhas, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Marcella B R Costa
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Matheus M Carvalho
- Laboratório de Abelhas, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
- Laboratório de Biologia Comparada e Abelhas, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo L Dias
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | | | - Fernanda A Carvalho
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Alexander Keller
- Cellular and Organismic Networks, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 82152, Munich, Germany
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Filipiak ZM, Denisow B, Stawiarz E, Filipiak M. Unravelling the dependence of a wild bee on floral diversity and composition using a feeding experiment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 820:153326. [PMID: 35074369 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We investigated nutrition as a potential mechanism underlying the link between floral diversity/composition and wild bee performance. The health, resilience, and fitness of bees may be limited by a lack of nutritionally balanced larval food (pollen), influencing the entire population, even if adults are not limited nutritionally by the availability and quality of their food (mainly nectar). We hypothesized that the nutritional quality of bee larval food is indirectly connected to the species diversity of pollen provisions and is directly driven by the pollen species composition. Therefore, the accessibility of specific, nutritionally desirable key plant species for larvae might promote bee populations. Using a fully controlled feeding experiment, we simulated different pollen resources that could be available to bees in various environments, reflecting potential changes in floral species diversity and composition that could be caused by landscape changes. Suboptimal concentrations of certain nutrients in pollen produced by specific plant species resulted in reduced bee fitness. The negative effects were alleviated when scarce nutrients were added to these pollen diets. The scarcity of specific nutrients was associated with certain plant species but not with plant diversity. Thus, one of the mechanisms underlying the decreased fitness of wild bees in homogenous landscapes may be nutritional imbalance, i.e., the scarcity of specific nutrients associated with the presence of certain plant species and not with species diversity in pollen provisions eaten by larvae. Accordingly, we provide a conceptual representation of how the floral species composition and diversity can impact bee populations by affecting fitness-related life history traits. Additionally, we suggest that mixes of 'bee-friendly' plants used to improve the nutritional base for wild bees should be composed considering the local flora to supplement bees with vital nutrients that are scarce in the considered environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzanna M Filipiak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Bożena Denisow
- Laboratory of Plant Biology, Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Ernest Stawiarz
- Laboratory of Plant Biology, Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Michał Filipiak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
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