First Characterization of The Venom from Apis mellifera syriaca, A Honeybee from The Middle East Region

Bee venom is a mixture of several components with proven therapeutic benefits, among which are anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and various cardiovascular conditions. In this work, we analyzed for the first time the proteomic content and biological properties of the crude venom from Apis mellifera syriaca, a honeybee from the Middle East region. Using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we evidence the venom contains phospholipase A2, hyaluronidase, mast cell-degranulating peptide, adolapin, apamin, and melittin. The latter was purified by solid phase extraction method (SPE) and tested in parallel with crude venom for biological activities. Precisely, crude venom—but not melittin—exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. Alongside, hemolytic activity was observed in human blood subjected to the venom at high doses. A. mellifera syriaca venom displayed antioxidant activities, and not surprisingly, PLA2 catalytic activity. Eventually, the venom proved to exert antiproliferative effects against MCF-7 and 3T3 cancer cells lines. This first report of a new bee venom opens new avenues for therapeutic uses of bee venoms.

Does reclaimed water induce morphological changes in midguts of honeybees (Apis mellifera syriaca)?

The purpose of this study was to assess the death rate and morphological changes in the midgut of honey worker bees when reclaimed water was the only source of drinking compared with the case when fresh water was the normal source of drinking. Two feeding solutions were implemented: fresh water sugar solution and reclaimed water sugar solution for eight consecutive days. The cages were inspected daily for any deaths of the honeybees. At the end of the experiments, midguts were removed; processed and pathological changes of the midguts were reported. The usage of reclaimed water as a drinking water had negative impacts on the average deaths of the honeybee colonies as well as the morphology of their midguts. To the best of our knowledge, no such studies have been conducted before and this is the first study that addresses the usage of reclaimed water as a sole source drinking water for honeybee colonies.

Subjective evaluation of defensive behavior in the Syrian honeybee (Apis mellifera syriaca)

To separate gentle from defensive bee types, a rating scale is the most reliable, economical, and practical evaluation system. In initiating a breeding programme for the indigenous Syrian honeybee Apis mellifera syriaca, a typical representative of the endangered subspecies of the Middle East, multiple measurements were used to generally monitor this behavior and verify whether the international Apimondia recommendations are suitable for such subspecies. A total of 72 beekeepers and three breeding centers provided performancetesting results from 969 colonies distributed throughout 75 apiaries in Syria. Each colony was tested, on average, 4.73 times (4584 records total). The defensive behavior of A. m. syriaca was found to be very aggressive (1.48 scored by a system ranging from 1 (aggressive) to 4 (gentle)). The low repeatability (0.19) of defensive behavior estimated using restricted maximal likelihood analysis and the low and skewed variation of the trait indicate that other scoring systems are expected to be more efficient for selective breeding towards gentle behavior.