A scientific note on the first report of honeybee venom inhibiting Paenibacillus larvae growth

FERNANDEZ NJ; PORRINI MP; PODAZA E; DAMIANI N; GENDE LB; FORMATO G

Roma

Simposio; 6ta Apimedica. 5ta Apiquality.International Syposium; 2016

In the highly eusocial honeybee Apis mellifera, worker bees use a stinging apparatus for defense. The sting is supplied with venom from the abdomen glands. Honeybee venom (BV) extraction has become a standardized practice, characterized for being safe, simple, and causing no harm to bees. BV is composed of at least 18 bioactive molecules, ranging from biogenic amines to proteins. Melittin and PLA2 are the most predominant proteins in bee venom, representing 50 and 10?12% of its dry weight, respectively.Furthermore, venom gland has been recently reported as an important source of antimicrobial substances with proven antibacterial and antifungal action. Despite this, antimicrobial broad spectrum data about the effects of BV on honeybees infectious pathogens is previously absent from the literature. This paper is the first report on honeybee venom antimicrobial activity against Paenibacillus larvae and on its effect on the fed bees survival. Results hold particular promise, with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) from 3.12 to 6.25 µg/ml and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) ranging from 4.16 a 10.42 μg/ml against this microorganism. This research also constitutes the first record of oral administration of BV to an invertebrate biological model. No lethal or behavioral effects on bees after a week of BV ingesting were revealed. High doses of BV resulted much less toxic for bees than some botanical extracts. Further studies should be conducted to address the effects of higher concentrations of BV and determine the toxicological risks and the optimum dosage in field assays.