Natural Substances, Probiotics, and Synthetic Agents in the Treatment and Prevention of Honeybee Nosemosis

Abstract

Honeybees are important pollinators, but they are continuously exposed to a variety of fungal and bacterial diseases. One of the various diseases affecting honeybees is nosemosis caused by microsporidia from the Nosema genus. Honeybees are mainly infected through consumption of infected food or faeces containing Nosema spp. spores. Nosemosis causes damage to the middle intestine epithelium, which leads to food absorption disorders and honeybee malnutrition. Fumagillin, i.e., the antibiotic used to treat nosemosis, was withdrawn in 2016 from EU countries. Therefore, researchers have been looking for compounds of both natural and synthetic origin to fight nosemosis. Such compounds should not have a negative impact on bees but is expected to inhibit the disease. Natural compounds tested against nosemosis include, e.g., essential oils (EOs), plant extracts, propolis, and bacterial metabolites, while synthetic substances tested as anti-nosemosis agents are represented by porphyrins, vitamins, antibiotics, phenolic, ascorbic acids, and others. This publication presents an 18-year overview of various studies of a number of natural and synthetic compounds used in the treatment and prevention of nosemosis cited in PubMed, GoogleScholar, and CrossRef.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Beekeeping Risks and Validation of Biosecurity Measures against Major Infectious Diseases in Apis mellifera in Europe

“…Fumagillin, the antibiotic employed in the treatment of nosemosis, was removed from use in EU countries in 2016. Consequently, researchers have been exploring compounds of both natural and synthetic origin as potential alternatives to fight nosemosis [32]. Antibiotics are not permitted in the European Union for treating honeybees, to prevent the risk of residues in hive products [33], as well as antibiotic resistance in the One Health scope [34].…”

Screening of Entomopathogenic Fungal Culture Metabolites With Honey Bee Nosemosis Inhibitory Activity

“…In contrast, for direct treatment, an antibiotic called fumagillin is used, but its use is controversial due to its potential negative effects on the environment and other organisms [27][28][29][30]. Research efforts to replace it have reported that probiotic treatment, plant essential oils, propolis, plant extracts, and royal jelly, etc., can reduce the number of Nosema spores in bees and improve the survival rate of infected bees [31][32][33][34].…”

The First Conserved Mitochondrial Genome of Polygraphus poligraphus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and its Phylogenetic Implications

“…One of the most intriguing advancements in this field is using plantbased compounds, such as essential oils and plant extracts, as potential treatments for Nosema (Chaimanee et al, 2021). Several studies have demonstrated that essential oils, such as thyme, oregano, and lemon balm, inhibit the growth and reproduction of Nosema parasites (El-Seedi et al, 2022b;Kunat-Budzyńska et al, 2022;Özüiçli et al, 2023). These natural products can be administered to honeybee colonies through sugar syrup or as fumigants, providing a less toxic and environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic chemicals (Kunat-Budzyńska et al, 2022).…”