Abscisic acid enhances the immune response in Apis mellifera and contributes to the colony fitness

Abstract

-The primary food of adult honey bees (Apis mellifera ) is honey prepared by bees from nectar, provided by plants in order to stimulate the bee's pollination service. Nectar consists of carbohydrates, amino acids and water, as well as other minor compounds whose proportion varies among plant species and whose biological implications in the honey bee physiology require intense research. Several environmental stressors are causing the decline of bee colonies, and thereby, we tried to connect the nutritional quality of bee's diet with the strength of the bee's immune system. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is present in nectar, honey and adult honey bees. It has been demonstrated that ABA stimulates innate immune defences in animal cells. However, the influence of ABA on A. mellifera 's health and fitness is unknown. Here, we show that honey bees fed with an ABA supplement in field experiments resulted in (i) the appearance of ABA in larvae and adult bees, (ii) enhanced haemocyte response to non-self recognition, (iii) improved wound healing and granulocyte and plasmatocyte activation and (iv) maximum adult bee population after the winter and increased pesticide tolerance. The results indicate that the naturally occurring compound ABA has a positive influence in honey bee immunity. ABA emerges as a potent booster of immune defence in A. mellifera and may be useful in addressing the colony losses threatening apiculture and pollination service worldwide.Apis mellifera / abscisic acid / immune aptitude

Pharmacophagy and pharmacophory: mechanisms of self-medication and disease prevention in the honeybee colony (Apis mellifera)

“…Abscisic acid, a phytohormone regulating physiological functions in plants, can be detected in nectar, honey and honeybees at all stages. This phytohormone enhances the immune response (cellular and humoral) and wound healing of individual worker honeybees and the colony (Negri et al 2015). Phytohormones are a new group of candidate substances that may be used by honeybees for various medicinal purposes.…”

Abscisic acid enhances cold tolerance in honeybee larvae

“…Lately, the role of naturally occurring compounds present in nectar, pollen, and honey is being revalued [14,15]. Through laboratory and field experiments, we have demonstrated that the supplementation of hives with syrup containing & 2017 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society.…”

“…abscisic acid (ABA) enhanced the innate immune response of honeybees and the winter survival of the colony [15].…”

Supplementation with Abscisic Acid Reduces Malaria Disease Severity and Parasite Transmission

“…13,14 In insects, ABA ingested with nectar is detectable in honey bees and supplementation of hives enhanced would healing and immune cell activation in treated bees. 15 Mosquitoes similarly ingest a variety of bioactive factors during host feeding. In particular, human insulin and transforming growth factor beta in ingested blood can signal in the mosquito midgut to alter parasite infection.…”