Potential of Fumagillin and Agaricus blazei Mushroom Extract to Reduce Nosema ceranae in Honey Bees

Abstract

Depending on the infection level and colony strength, Nosema ceranae, a microsporidian endoparasite of the honey bee may have significant consequences on the health, reproduction and productivity of bee colonies. Despite exerting some side effects, fumagillin is most often used for Nosema control. In this study, in a cage experiment, N. ceranae infected bees were treated with fumagillin or the extract of Agaricus blazei mushroom, a possible alternative for Nosema control. Bee survival, Nosema spore loads, the expression levels of immune-related genes and parameters of oxidative stress were observed. Fumagillin treatment showed a negative effect on monitored parameters when applied preventively to non-infected bees, while a noticeable anti-Nosema effect and protection from Nosema-induced immunosuppression and oxidative stress were proven in Nosema-infected bees. However, a protective effect of the natural A. blazei extract was detected, without any side effects but with immunostimulatory activity in the preventive application. The results of this research suggest the potential of A. blazei extract for Nosema control, which needs to be further investigated.

Effects of Agaricus bisporus Mushroom Extract on Honey Bees Infected with Nosema ceranae

“…The honey bee (Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)) is a pollinator important for agricultural production [1] and providing essential macro-and micronutrients [2]. Considerable colony losses in the United States and Europe have significant negative economic and environmental consequences, and can be caused by many factors, most often pathogens and parasites, environmental pollution, nutritional stress, and inadequate beekeeping management [3][4][5].…”

“…There are reports that N. ceranae induces changes in the carbohydrate metabolism [14][15][16][17], which may increase nutritional and energetic stress [3,[15][16][17][18][19][20]. Infection with N. ceranae compromises immunity [21] and induces oxidative stress in bees [5], especially in combination with pesticides [22,23]. It has also been shown that infection of bees with Nosema spp.…”

“…Moreover, its effectiveness has been questioned [28], imposing a constant effort of scientists to discover alternative substances, which would be effective against Nosema spp. Among many natural compounds tested [5,[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47], some of them showed promising anti-Nosema effects such as algae and fungus extracts [5,22,[36][37][38][39], chitosan and peptidoglycan [40], naringenin, sulforaphane and carvacrol [41], probiotics [42,46], natural substances from Brassicaceae defatted seed meals [43], and natural-based commercial formulations [5,44,47,48]. Diet with the addition of plant-based, amino acid and vitamin supplements, led to reduction of N. ceranae spore number [5,48], immunostimulation, and reduction of oxidative stress in N. ceranae-infected bees [5], and consequently to the improved condition of bees.…”

“…Among many natural compounds tested [5,[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47], some of them showed promising anti-Nosema effects such as algae and fungus extracts [5,22,[36][37][38][39], chitosan and peptidoglycan [40], naringenin, sulforaphane and carvacrol [41], probiotics [42,46], natural substances from Brassicaceae defatted seed meals [43], and natural-based commercial formulations [5,44,47,48]. Diet with the addition of plant-based, amino acid and vitamin supplements, led to reduction of N. ceranae spore number [5,48], immunostimulation, and reduction of oxidative stress in N. ceranae-infected bees [5], and consequently to the improved condition of bees. Interest in mushrooms has been increasing among researchers due to their nutritional and medicinal properties; mushrooms of the genus Agaricus contain numerous biologically-active substances (such as glucans, mannan, lentinan, schizophyllan, scleroglucan) with certain antitumor, antidiabetic, and immunostimulatory effects [49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56].…”

“…Interest in mushrooms has been increasing among researchers due to their nutritional and medicinal properties; mushrooms of the genus Agaricus contain numerous biologically-active substances (such as glucans, mannan, lentinan, schizophyllan, scleroglucan) with certain antitumor, antidiabetic, and immunostimulatory effects [49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56]. Stevanovic et al [38] observed a favorable effect of A. blazei extract on the strength parameters of bee colonies in a field experiment, while Glavinic et al [5] revealed the positive effect of A. blazei extract in laboratory experiment. The extract stimulated the expression of genes important for immunity, reducing oxidative stress caused by N. ceranae and consequently reducing N. ceranae infection.…”