Colony Nutrition Enhances Bee Resilience to Fungicides, While the Benefit of Propolis Supplementation Depends on Stress Conditions
Enhanced colony nutrition can support brood development, resulting in better physiological conditions and increased resilience in adult honey bees, particularly under stress. This study investigated the effects of colony nutrition and adult dietary supplementation with green propolis on bee health u...
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MDPI AG
2025-08-01
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| author | Yara Martins Molina Ferraz Aline Yukari Kato Tainá Angelica de Lima Freitas Cássia Regina de Avelar Gomes Thais Regina Ramos Alves Matheus Franco Trivellato Samir Moura Kadri Ricardo de Oliveira Orsi David De Jong Jaqueline Dalbello Biller Daniel Nicodemo |
| author_facet | Yara Martins Molina Ferraz Aline Yukari Kato Tainá Angelica de Lima Freitas Cássia Regina de Avelar Gomes Thais Regina Ramos Alves Matheus Franco Trivellato Samir Moura Kadri Ricardo de Oliveira Orsi David De Jong Jaqueline Dalbello Biller Daniel Nicodemo |
| author_sort | Yara Martins Molina Ferraz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Enhanced colony nutrition can support brood development, resulting in better physiological conditions and increased resilience in adult honey bees, particularly under stress. This study investigated the effects of colony nutrition and adult dietary supplementation with green propolis on bee health under fungicide exposure. Colonies were managed under food restriction or nutritional supplementation for 22 weeks. Newly emerged bees from each colony were then caged and fed protein diets consisting of honey-pollen patties contaminated or not with fungicide, and sucrose sugar syrup with or without aqueous green propolis extract. Bees from supplemented colonies showed greater body weight, higher hemolymph protein levels, and higher consumption of protein food after seven days in cages. Fungicide exposure reduced hemolymph protein levels, altered the expression of detoxification and immune-related genes, and significantly decreased bee survival. Interestingly, propolis supplementation alone changed gene expression patterns and slightly reduced longevity compared to bees not exposed to propolis or fungicide. However, under fungicide stress, bees that ingested propolis survived longer, indicating a protective effect. While colony nutritional supplementation clearly promotes honey bee resilience against fungicide exposure, feeding propolis also showed promising effects, though further studies are needed to determine an optimal dietary concentration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-28096547309644e883cf48ff4d9adcbe |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj-art-28096547309644e883cf48ff4d9adcbe2025-08-20T04:00:51ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722025-08-011515166510.3390/agriculture15151665Colony Nutrition Enhances Bee Resilience to Fungicides, While the Benefit of Propolis Supplementation Depends on Stress ConditionsYara Martins Molina Ferraz0Aline Yukari Kato1Tainá Angelica de Lima Freitas2Cássia Regina de Avelar Gomes3Thais Regina Ramos Alves4Matheus Franco Trivellato5Samir Moura Kadri6Ricardo de Oliveira Orsi7David De Jong8Jaqueline Dalbello Biller9Daniel Nicodemo10Graduate Program in Animal Science, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, BrazilGraduate Program in Animal Science, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, BrazilGraduate Program in Animal Science, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, BrazilGraduate Program in Animal Science, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, BrazilGraduate Program in Animal Science, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, BrazilGraduate Program in Animal Science, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, BrazilDepartment of Animal Science, College of Agricultural and Technology Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Dracena 17915-899, SP, BrazilDepartment of Animal Production and Medicine Veterinary Preventive, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Botucatu 18610-034, SP, BrazilGenetics Department, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, BrazilDepartment of Animal Science, College of Agricultural and Technology Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Dracena 17915-899, SP, BrazilDepartment of Animal Science, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, BrazilEnhanced colony nutrition can support brood development, resulting in better physiological conditions and increased resilience in adult honey bees, particularly under stress. This study investigated the effects of colony nutrition and adult dietary supplementation with green propolis on bee health under fungicide exposure. Colonies were managed under food restriction or nutritional supplementation for 22 weeks. Newly emerged bees from each colony were then caged and fed protein diets consisting of honey-pollen patties contaminated or not with fungicide, and sucrose sugar syrup with or without aqueous green propolis extract. Bees from supplemented colonies showed greater body weight, higher hemolymph protein levels, and higher consumption of protein food after seven days in cages. Fungicide exposure reduced hemolymph protein levels, altered the expression of detoxification and immune-related genes, and significantly decreased bee survival. Interestingly, propolis supplementation alone changed gene expression patterns and slightly reduced longevity compared to bees not exposed to propolis or fungicide. However, under fungicide stress, bees that ingested propolis survived longer, indicating a protective effect. While colony nutritional supplementation clearly promotes honey bee resilience against fungicide exposure, feeding propolis also showed promising effects, though further studies are needed to determine an optimal dietary concentration.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/15/1665hemolymph proteinsdetoxification genesimmune responselarval nutritionoxidative stresspesticide exposure |
| spellingShingle | Yara Martins Molina Ferraz Aline Yukari Kato Tainá Angelica de Lima Freitas Cássia Regina de Avelar Gomes Thais Regina Ramos Alves Matheus Franco Trivellato Samir Moura Kadri Ricardo de Oliveira Orsi David De Jong Jaqueline Dalbello Biller Daniel Nicodemo Colony Nutrition Enhances Bee Resilience to Fungicides, While the Benefit of Propolis Supplementation Depends on Stress Conditions Agriculture hemolymph proteins detoxification genes immune response larval nutrition oxidative stress pesticide exposure |
| title | Colony Nutrition Enhances Bee Resilience to Fungicides, While the Benefit of Propolis Supplementation Depends on Stress Conditions |
| title_full | Colony Nutrition Enhances Bee Resilience to Fungicides, While the Benefit of Propolis Supplementation Depends on Stress Conditions |
| title_fullStr | Colony Nutrition Enhances Bee Resilience to Fungicides, While the Benefit of Propolis Supplementation Depends on Stress Conditions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Colony Nutrition Enhances Bee Resilience to Fungicides, While the Benefit of Propolis Supplementation Depends on Stress Conditions |
| title_short | Colony Nutrition Enhances Bee Resilience to Fungicides, While the Benefit of Propolis Supplementation Depends on Stress Conditions |
| title_sort | colony nutrition enhances bee resilience to fungicides while the benefit of propolis supplementation depends on stress conditions |
| topic | hemolymph proteins detoxification genes immune response larval nutrition oxidative stress pesticide exposure |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/15/1665 |
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