Effect of bacterial metabolites on microsporidian Nosema ceranae and on its host Apis mellifera

PORRINI MARTÍN P.; M. CARINA AUDISIO; DANIELA C. SABATÉ; CAROLINA IBARGUREN; SANDRA K. MEDICI; EDGARDO G. SARLO; P. MELISA GARRIDO; MARTÍN J. EGUARAS

PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2010 vol. 107 p. 381 - 388

0932-0113

Nosemosis, a disease caused by a microsporidianinfection, is one of the most frequently observed parasiticpathologies affecting adult honeybees. Presently, Nosemaceranae seems to be the main microsporidian infection inApis mellifera. The antibiotic fumagillin is the onlycompound available to treat Nosema diseases; however, itis no longer licensed in most EU member states; therefore,the need to identify new molecules/substances prevails. Theintent of this paper is to test bacterial metabolites by Bacillusand Enterococcus strains, isolated from bee midgut andhoney. The toxicity on bees and the antiparasitic activity onN. ceranae were assessed under laboratory conditions.Results did not yield toxicity for the administered surfactinor bacteriocin concentrations. Spores exposed to directcontact with a particular surfactin revealed a significantinfectivity reduction when inoculated on bees. This surfactin,administered ad libitum from the individuals’ emergence, ledto a significant reduction in parasitosis development whenbees were infected with untreated spores 7 days postemergence.Based on the results obtained, one of the surfactins isherein postulated as a molecule capable of reducing N.ceranae development, acting either by direct exposure topurified spores or incorporated into the digestive tract of thebee.