Screening of Dietary Ingredients against the Honey Bee Parasite Nosema ceranae

Nosema ceranae is a major pathogen in the beekeeping sector, responsible for nosemosis. This disease is hard to manage since its symptomatology is masked until a strong collapse of the colony population occurs. Conversely, no medicaments are available in the market to counteract nosemosis, and only a few feed additives, with claimed antifungal action, are available. New solutions are strongly required, especially based on natural methods alternative to veterinary drugs that might develop resistance or strongly pollute honey bees and the environment. This study aims at investigating the nosemosis antiparasitic potential of some plant extracts, microbial fermentation products, organic acids, food chain waste products, bacteriocins, and fungi. Honey bees were singularly infected with 5 × 104 freshly prepared N. ceranae spores, reared in cages and fed ad libitum with sugar syrup solution containing the active ingredient. N. ceranae in the gut of honey bees was estimated using qPCR. The results showed that some of the ingredients administered, such as acetic acid at high concentration, p-coumaric acid, and Saccharomyces sp. strain KIA1, were effective in the control of nosemosis. On the other hand, wine acetic acid strongly increased the N. ceranae amount. This study investigates the possibility of using compounds such as organic acids or biological agents including those at the base of the circular economy, i.e., wine waste production, in order to improve honeybee health.

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Alternatives for methane emission mitigation in livestock systems

Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia ◽

10.1590/s1516-35982010001300020 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 39 (suppl spe) ◽

pp. 175-182 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Carlos E. Lascano ◽

Edgar Cárdenas

Keyword(s):

Secondary Metabolites ◽

Organic Acids ◽

Global Climate ◽

Feed Additives ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Soluble Carbohydrates ◽

High Concentration ◽

High Quality ◽

Cattle Systems ◽

Selection Of

Human activities are contributing to Global Climate Change through the production of Green House Gases (GHG), which result in increased air, land and ocean temperatures and extreme changes in precipitation in regions of low and high rainfall. The most important GHG's are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). It is estimated that 18 % of the annual GHG emissions come from different types of livestock and that 37% of CH4, with higher global warming potential (23) relative to CO2 (1), comes from fermentation processes in ruminants. It is possible that in the future beef and milk exports from producing countries is subject to bans if cattle systems do not comply with measures to reduce GHG. There are several alternatives available and being researched to reduce enteric CH4 emissions from cattle that range from manipulating diet composition, supplementing feed additives (i.e. ionophores, organic acids, halogenated compounds, oils) and selection of forage plants of high quality and containing secondary metabolites (i.e. tannins and saponins) to animal breeding, immunization and genetic transformation of rumen microorganisms. Results show that inhibition of enteric CH4 emission is possible through the use of ionophores, organic acids and oils. The use of ionophores can result in resistance of rumen microbes and as a result the effect is short term. The high cost of organic acids makes it unlikely that there direct supplementation in ruminant diets is economically viable. However, organic acids are present at relatively high concentrations in the leaf tissue of plants and attempts should be made to select and breed forages with higher levels of these compounds. It is argued that a more efficient strategy to reduce enteric CH4 in ruminants is through selection of grasses of high quality (i.e. high concentration of water soluble carbohydrates), of forage legumes containing secondary metabolites like tannins and of fruits/plants containing saponins, provided that they do not affect intake and digestibility. Improved nutrition of cattle through feeding high quality forages can result in high animal performance and in reductions of CH4 emitted per unit of dry matter intake and per unit of product.

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THE EFFECTS OF INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID AND COMMON ORGANIC ACIDS ON THE RESPIRATION OF SLICES FROM TOMATO STEM AND CROWN GALL TISSUE

American Journal of Botany ◽

10.1002/j.1537-2197.1951.tb14867.x ◽

1951 ◽

Vol 38 (8) ◽

pp. 618-621 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Floyd S. Eberts ◽

R. H. Burris ◽

A. J. Riker

Keyword(s):

Acetic Acid ◽

Organic Acids ◽

Crown Gall ◽

Gall Tissue ◽

Crown Gall Tissue ◽

Indole 3 Acetic Acid

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Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fermentation of 28 Barley and 12 Oat Cultivars

Fermentation ◽

10.3390/fermentation7020059 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 59

Author(s):

Timothy J. Tse ◽

Daniel J. Wiens ◽

Jianheng Shen ◽

Aaron D. Beattie ◽

Martin J. T. Reaney

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Acetic Acid ◽

Lactic Acid ◽

Succinic Acid ◽

Alcoholic Fermentation ◽

Ethanol Yield ◽

Cereal Crops ◽

Fermentation Products ◽

Barley Cultivars ◽

Oat Cultivars

As barley and oat production have recently increased in Canada, it has become prudent to investigate these cereal crops as potential feedstocks for alcoholic fermentation. Ethanol and other coproduct yields can vary substantially among fermented feedstocks, which currently consist primarily of wheat and corn. In this study, the liquified mash of milled grains from 28 barley (hulled and hull-less) and 12 oat cultivars were fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae to determine concentrations of fermentation products (ethanol, isopropanol, acetic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, α-glycerylphosphorylcholine (α-GPC), and glycerol). On average, the fermentation of barley produced significantly higher amounts of ethanol, isopropanol, acetic acid, succinic acid, α-GPC, and glycerol than that of oats. The best performing barley cultivars were able to produce up to 78.48 g/L (CDC Clear) ethanol and 1.81 g/L α-GPC (CDC Cowboy). Furthermore, the presence of milled hulls did not impact ethanol yield amongst barley cultivars. Due to its superior ethanol yield compared to oats, barley is a suitable feedstock for ethanol production. In addition, the accumulation of α-GPC could add considerable value to the fermentation of these cereal crops.

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FODMAP Fingerprinting of Bakery Products and Sourdoughs: Quantitative Assessment and Content Reduction through Fermentation

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10040894 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 894

Author(s):

Johannes Pitsch ◽

Georg Sandner ◽

Jakob Huemer ◽

Maximilian Huemer ◽

Stefan Huemer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Irritable Bowel Syndrome ◽

Acetic Acid ◽

Lactic Acid ◽

Low Temperature ◽

Quantitative Assessment ◽

Bakery Products ◽

Fermentation Products ◽

Fermentation Temperature ◽

Digestive Disorders ◽

Irritable Bowel

Fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) are associated with digestive disorders and with diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome. In this study, we determined the FODMAP contents of bread, bakery products, and flour and assessed the effectiveness of sourdough fermentation for FODMAP reduction. The fermentation products were analyzed to determine the DP 2–7 and DP >7 fructooligosaccharide (FOS) content of rye and wheat sourdoughs. FOSs were reduced by Acetobacter cerevisiae, Acetobacter okinawensis, Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis, and Leuconostoc citreum to levels below those in rye (−81%; −97%) and wheat (−90%; −76%) flours. The fermentation temperature influenced the sourdough acetic acid to lactic acid ratios (4:1 at 4 °C; 1:1 at 10 °C). The rye sourdough contained high levels of beneficial arabinose (28.92 g/kg) and mannitol (20.82 g/kg). Our study contributes in-depth knowledge of low-temperature sourdough fermentation in terms of effective FODMAP reduction and concurrent production of desirable fermentation byproducts.

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Propolis Extract and Chitosan Improve Health of Nosema ceranae Infected Giant Honey Bees, Apis dorsata Fabricius, 1793

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens10070785 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 785

Author(s):

Sanchai Naree ◽

Rujira Ponkit ◽

Evada Chotiaroonrat ◽

Christopher L. Mayack ◽

Guntima Suwannapong

Keyword(s):

Honey Bees ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Nosema Ceranae ◽

Apis Dorsata ◽

Propolis Extract ◽

Bee Health ◽

Honey Bee Health ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

Honey Solution

Nosema ceranae is a large contributing factor to the most recent decline in honey bee health worldwide. Developing new alternative treatments against N. ceranae is particularly pressing because there are few treatment options available and therefore the risk of increased antibiotic resistance is quite high. Recently, natural products have demonstrated to be a promising avenue for finding new effective treatments against N. ceranae. We evaluated the effects of propolis extract of stingless bee, Tetrigona apicalis and chito-oligosaccharide (COS) on giant honey bees, Apis dorsata, experimentally infected with N. ceranae to determine if these treatments could improve the health of the infected individuals. Newly emerged Nosema-free bees were individually inoculated with 106N. ceranae spores per bee. We fed infected and control bees the following treatments consisting of 0%, 50%, propolis extracts, 0 ppm and 0.5 ppm COS in honey solution (w/v). Propolis extracts and COS caused a significant increase in trehalose levels in hemolymph, protein contents, survival rates and acini diameters of the hypopharyngeal glands in infected bees. Our results suggest that propolis and COS could improve the health of infected bees. Further research is needed to determine the underlying mechanisms responsible for the improved health of the infected bees.

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Effects of Prebiotics and Probiotics on Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) Infected with the Microsporidian Parasite Nosema ceranae

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9030481 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 481

Author(s):

Daniel Borges ◽

Ernesto Guzman-Novoa ◽

Paul H. Goodwin

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Bifidobacterium Bifidum ◽

Nosema Ceranae ◽

Food Supplementation ◽

Microsporidian Parasite ◽

Single Strain ◽

Acacia Gum ◽

Bee Health ◽

Commercial Probiotics

Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian fungus that parasitizes the midgut epithelial cells of honey bees, Apis mellifera. Due to the role that midgut microorganisms play in bee health and immunity, food supplementation with prebiotics and probiotics may assist in the control of N. ceranae. The dietary fiber prebiotics acacia gum, inulin, and fructooligosaccharides, as well as the commercial probiotics Vetafarm Probotic, Protexin Concentrate single-strain (Enterococcus faecium), and Protexin Concentrate multi-strain (Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, L. delbrueckii, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Streptococcus salivarius, and E. faecium) were tested for their effect on N. ceranae spore loads and honey bee survivorship. Bees kept in cages were inoculated with N. ceranae spores and single-dose treatments were administered in sugar syrup. Acacia gum caused the greatest reduction in N. ceranae spore numbers (67%) but also significantly increased bee mortality (62.2%). However, Protexin Concentrate single-strain gave similarly reduced spore numbers (59%) without affecting the mortality. In a second experiment, multiple doses of the probiotics revealed significantly reduced spore numbers with 2.50 mg/mL Vetafarm Probotic, and 0.25, 1.25, and 2.50 mg/mL Protexin Concentrate single-strain. Mortality was also significantly reduced with 1.25 mg/mL Protexin Concentrate single-strain. N. ceranae-inoculated bees fed 3.75 mg/mL Vetafarm Probotic had higher survival than N. ceranae-inoculated bees, which was similar to that of non-inoculated bees, while N. ceranae-inoculated bees fed 2.50 mg/mL Protexin Concentrate single-strain, had significantly higher survival than both N. ceranae-inoculated and non-inoculated bees. Protexin Concentrate single-strain is promising as it can reduce N. ceranae proliferation and increase bee survivorship of infected bees, even compared to healthy, non-infected bees.

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PSIII-13 Effects of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Fermentation Products on Lactating Sow Performance

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skab054.290 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 99 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 172-172

Author(s):

Ricardo M Garcia ◽

Morgan T Thayer ◽

Kayla M Mills ◽

Jacob A Richert ◽

Katharine G Sharp ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Water Intake ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Control Diet ◽

Feed Additives ◽

Intermediate Water ◽

Lactation Period ◽

Fermentation Products ◽

Once Daily ◽

Lactating Sows

Abstract Lactating sows (N=140, York x Landrace) were used to evaluate the effects of a liquid prototype (LIQP) and dry (XPC®; Diamond V) Saccharomyces cerevisiae feed additives on sow and litter performance. Sows were fed a common gestation diet (0.55% SID-Lysine) until d112 of pregnancy and then allotted to lactation treatments: 1) Control diet (CON; 1.00% SID-Lysine), 2) CON +15 mL of LIQP from d112 to weaning (LIQ), 3) CON +0.20% of XPC from d112 to weaning (DRY), and 4) DRY +15 mL of LIQP from d112 to d7 post-farrowing (D+L). The LIQP was given once daily using an oral dose gun and XPC was included in the feed. Immunoglobulin concentrations were estimated on colostrum samples using Brix refractometer and piglet d 1 serum immunocrit ratio and plasma IgA and IgG. Daily sow water intake and daily feed intake (DFI) from d112 of gestation to d7 post-farrowing and weekly feed intake (ADFI) were recorded. There were no treatment effects on sow BW, backfat, or loin depth (P >0.05) although sows from LIQ group had numerically smaller BW reductions compared to CON sows (4.9% vs 7.2%, P=0.19). LIQ sows had greater DFI and CON lower DFI during week 1 of lactation (P=0.04) as well as ADFI for weeks 2, 3, and overall lactation period (P< 0.01) with DRY and D+L sows being intermediate. Water intake, immunoglobulins, and litter performance did not differ among treatments (P >0.05) although pigs from LIQ sows, compared to CON, had numerically increased weaning (6.14 vs 5.82kg, P >0.05) and litter weights (63.2 vs 60.1kg, P >0.05). LIQ sows had 0.7 d reduced wean-to-estrus interval (P< 0.001) and tended to have greater conception rates (P=0.07). In conclusion, LIQ supplementation of lactating sows improves feed intake, allowing sows to keep body reserves, and have better subsequent rebreeding performance.

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Effects of Nosema ceranae (Dissociodihaplophasida: Nosematidae) and Flupyradifurone on Olfactory Learning in Honey Bees, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Journal of Insect Science ◽

10.1093/jisesa/ieaa130 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (6) ◽

Author(s):

Heather Christine Bell ◽

Corina N Montgomery ◽

Jaime E Benavides ◽

James C Nieh

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Learning And Memory ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Food Reward ◽

Nosema Ceranae ◽

Olfactory Conditioning ◽

Agricultural Use ◽

High Doses ◽

Neonicotinoid Pesticides ◽

Term Field

Abstract The health of insect pollinators, particularly the honey bee, Apis mellifera (Linnaeus, 1758), is a major concern for agriculture and ecosystem health. In response to mounting evidence supporting the detrimental effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on pollinators, a novel ‘bee safe’ butenolide compound, flupyradifurone (FPF) has been registered for use in agricultural use. Although FPF is not a neonicotinoid, like neonicotinoids, it is an excitotoxic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist. In addition, A. mellifera faces threats from pathogens, such as the microsporidian endoparasite, Nosema ceranae (Fries et al. 1996). We therefore sought 1) to increase our understanding of the potential effects of FPF on honey bees by focusing on a crucial behavior, the ability to learn and remember an odor associated with a food reward, and 2) to test for a potential synergistic effect on such learning by exposure to FPF and infection with N. ceranae. We found little evidence that FPF significantly alters learning and memory at short-term field-realistic doses. However, at high doses and at chronic, field-realistic exposure, FPF did reduce learning and memory in an olfactory conditioning task. Infection with N. ceranae also reduced learning, but there was no synergy (no significant interaction) between N. ceranae and exposure to FPF. These results suggest the importance of continued studies on the chronic effects of FPF.

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