The queen's production is one of the important and sensitive processes in beekeeping and certainly depended on royal jelly quality which plays an effective role in queen difference and vitality. This work suggested a novel plant feed supplements to improve royal jelly quality and enhance the vitality of newly emerged queens. Equal aliquots of Mahlab seed kernel powder (Prunus mahaleb L.)and date palm pollen (Phoenix dactylifera L.) were provided into colonies in a sugar patty formula for seven days before queen grafting and along for 21 days of the experiment compared to a traditional pollen patty and control sugar syrup. The supplemented patty recorded higher consumption rate of (85.44%) compared to the pollen patty (45.54%). Moreover, the new supplements showed the highest rate of queen acceptance and emergence percent compared to colonies fed on the pollen patty and syrup only. Regarding the new virgin queens' parameters, plant supplements lead to an increase in body and ovary weights to (0.2250 and 0.00562 g respectively) over those of traditional pollen patty (0.1826 and 0.00495 g) and control sugar syrup (0.1439 ±0.00414 g) likewise, an increase in the ovarioles number was detected. Moreover,a protective effect on DNA in ovary cells was recorded by agarose gel fragmentation analysis with the plant supplement group compared to the other groups. The SDS-PAGE analysis of royal jelly showed an improvement in protein quality and quantity with supplemented feeding patty. So, we can recommend the tested plant supplements to enhance royal jelly and queens' production qualities.
This work was conducted to evaluate the molluscicidal activity of Kz mineral oil compared to methomyl insecticide against one of the most serious land snails; white garden snail Theba pisana under laboratory conditions. The toxicity changes in juveniles and adults of T. pisana snail treated with three concentrations (1.25, 2.5 and 5 %) for Kz oil and (0.031, 0.063 and 0.125 %) for methomyl were evaluated using dipping technique of lettuce and cabbage leaves. Results indicated that the tested concentrations of Kz oil had toxic effect on both juveniles and adults increasing with time passage and concentration. The highest mortality percentage obtained with Kz (5%) recorded (53.33 %) and (46.67 %) for juveniles & adults with lettuce leaves, respectively however the same concentration gave (40%) and (26.67%) mortality for juveniles & adults with cabbage leaves, respectively after three weeks post treatment. Regarding to methomyl pesticides, the toxicity effect increased also by time passage and concentration where the highest mortality in both juveniles & adults recorded (66.67% & 46.67 %), respectively when lettuce leaves are dipped in 0.125 % methomyl. Treatment with all concentrations of Kz oil and methomyl exhibited remarkable reduction in amylase and invertase activities compared to control. Furthermore, Kz oil showed very low toxic effect to adults of Apis mellifera by feeding whereas, toxicity was almost non-exist when bees were in contact with treated leaves.
Several factors have been linked to honeybee colonies' decline, but many inhive therapies have been frequently used and little is known about their effects on honeybees. This study is aimed at evaluating some biological, histological, and biochemical changes in honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) workers exposed during development to the antibiotic Flagyl (metronidazole), commonly used as nosemosis therapy, compared to the natural substance thymol. This work was conducted in early spring, and the medicated sugar syrup was administered by feeding it to the honeybee colonies. Results revealed a significant reduction in the mean worker brood area and honey yield in colonies that received flagyl compared to control and thymol colonies (P<0.05). The weight of newly emerged workers in control colonies tended to be heavier than those in medicated colonies, though the differences were statistically insignificant. The histological analysis of the midgut confirmed severe changes in the cell structure of bees that received flagyl during development. It induced clear alterations in the epithelial cells, peritrophic membrane, and muscular layer. A significant reduction in protein content, as well as a decline in basic digestive enzymatic activity, were accompanied by changes in the midgut tissue as a result of flagyl application. Overall, these results are valuable in highlighting the validity of midgut histology and enzyme activities as indicators for evaluating the toxicity of used inhive therapy.
The Caraway, Carum carvi essential oil was assessed to behave as natural control of bee parasitic mite, Varroa destructor during fall season instead of chemicals methods. Caraway oil (100%) was used and compared to the synthetic acaricide; Apistan. The number of fallen mites and infestation percentages on both adult and brood were estimated regarding the effects of essential oil on honeybees Apis mellifera. The essential oil from C. carvi seeds were extracted by hydro distillation and characterized by GC/MS. Sixteen compounds were identified representing; 97.33% of the oil. The predominant components were Limonene (38.81%), Carvone (35.43 %), α-Myrcene (7.3%), Dihydrocarvone (5.58%) and Limonene oxide (5.13%). The infestation reduction percentages, recorded with Caraway oil, reached 84.42% and 70.65% on adult and brood workers after 21 days of treatments with no statistical difference with Apistan. The mean numbers of fallen Varroa mites were (67.67) and (74.65) in hives treated by essential oil and Apistan, respectively. The immune response of honeybee workers and pupa revealed significant elevation in phenol oxidase activity with Caraway oil however, remarkable inhibition in the enzyme activity observed with workers exposed to Apistan. The comet assay performed on worker honeybee as a biomarker of DNA damage; revealed statistically significant increase in DNA damage caused with Apistan (20.1%) and infested bee (21.64 %) compared to corresponding one treated with Caraway essential oil (12.4%) and control (9.6%). Caraway essential oil proved a safe way as natural controlling of Varoaa destructive with keep guard of honeybee social life and fit into IPM programs
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