Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Apis Mellifera Under Different Carbohydrate Diets

Abstract

The resistance to stress factors and the health of Apis mellifera colonies depends on many factors, in particular, the nutrient composition of the forage base of bees. The quantity and quality of food components are stress factors that can cause oxidative stress in bees. The purpose of our work is to evaluate the impact of diets with different carbohydrate composition on the development of oxidative stress in honey bees. The impact of different carbohydrate diets (I – 60% honey, II – 30% sucrose, III – 60% sucrose, IV – 30% glucose, V – 30% fructose, VI – 30% glucose + 30% fructose (1:1 )) on the state of the antioxidant system in four- to seven-day-old worker bees in laboratory conditions was evaluated. Determination of biochemical markers was carried out after 24 and 96 hours of keeping bees on diets. It has been shown that the component composition of the diet affects the volume of food consumed by bees, the level of lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and the activity of catalase. Consumption of monosaccharides by bees for 24 hours caused a tagmospecific response of insects depending on the type of hexose. The lowest level of TBARS was found in the head of bees that consumed a fructose diet, and in the abdomen of insects that consumed a glucose diet, compared to bees of all other experimental groups. It is shown that the level of TBARS is not influenced by the concentration of carbohydrates, which bees are able to regulate by changing the amount of food consumed, but by the chemical composition of carbohydrates in the diet. Catalase activity was higher in the head of bees consuming fructose than in bees consuming glucose. a prolonged change in catalase activity was found, which depended on the structure and concentration of carbohydrates. Evaluation of the level of oxidative stress in bees on different carbohydrate diets using the proposed markers showed that glucose is the least nutrient stress factor compared to fructose and sucrose.