Extracts from Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Maxim. Roots: A New Hope Against Honeybee Death Caused by Nosemosis

Abstract

Pollinators, the cornerstones of our terrestrial ecosystem, have been at the very core of our anxiety. This is because we can nowadays observe a dangerous decline in the number of insects. With the numbers of pollinators dramatically declining worldwide, the scientific community has been growing more and more concerned about the future of insects as fundamental elements of most terrestrial ecosystems. Trying to address this issue, we looked for substances that might increase bee resistance. To this end, we checked the effects of plant-based adaptogens on honeybees in laboratory tests and during field studies on 30 honeybee colonies during two seasons. In this study, we have tested extracts obtained from: Eleutherococcus senticosus, Garcinia cambogia, Panax ginseng, Ginkgo biloba, Schisandra chinensis, and Camellia sinensis. The 75% ethanol E. senticosus root extract proved to be the most effective, both as a cure and in the prophylaxis of nosemosis. Therefore, Eleutherococcus senticosus, and its active compounds, eleutherosides, are considered the most powerful adaptogens, in the pool of all extracts that were selected for screening, for supporting immunity and improving resistance of honeybees. The optimum effective concentration of 0.4 mg/mL E. senticosus extract responded to c.a. 5.76, 2.56 and 0.07 µg/mL of eleutheroside B, eleutheroside E and naringenin, respectively. The effect of E. senticosus extracts on honeybees involved a similar adaptogenic response as on other animals, including humans. In this research, we show for the first time such an adaptogenic impact on invertebrates, i.e., the effect on honeybees stressed by nosemosis. We additionally hypothesised that these adaptogenic properties were connected with eleutherosides—secondary metabolites found exclusively in the Eleutherococcus genus and undetected in other studied extracts. As was indicated in this study, eleutherosides are very stable chemically and can be found in extracts in similar amounts even after two years from extraction. Considering the role bees play in nature, we may conclude that demonstrating the adaptogenic properties which plant extracts have in insects is the most significant finding resulting from this research. This knowledge might bring to fruition numerous economic and ecological benefits.

Amplicon Sequencing of Variable 16S rRNA from Bacteria and ITS2 Regions from Fungi and Plants, Reveals Honeybee Susceptibility to Diseases Results from Their Forage Availability under Anthropogenic Landscapes

“…The use of NGS techniques in the identification of the pollen pool preferentially chosen by honeybees can provide strategies to maintain healthy colonies of bees. This technique can greatly expand and supplement knowledge based on long term observation for the most efficient “pollinator-friendly” plants [ 73 , 74 , 75 ]. This should help to create more effective pollinator beneficial plant species composition for “pollinator-friendly” gardens or to enrich the plant species on flower strips.…”

The Herbal Supplements NOZEMAT HERB® and NOZEMAT HERB PLUS®: An Alternative Therapy for N. ceranae Infection and Its Effects on Honey Bee Strength and Production Traits

“…These results have demonstrated that this Chinese herb can provide protection from N. ceranae infection under laboratory conditions, suggesting that it can be used in apiculture to control N. ceranae . Another study has revealed that Eleutherococcus senticosus extract contains eleutherosides (eleutheroside B + E), which have an impact on the honey bee immune system [ 88 ]. These eleutherosides increase phenoloxidase (PO, a major defense enzyme in many invertebrates) in hemolymph and inhibit the development of fungal spores.…”

Aqueous extracts of jet-black ant Lasius fuliginosus nests for controlling nosemosis, a disease of honeybees caused by fungi of the genus Nosema

“…Furthermore, a very promising agent can be extracts from adaptogenic plants, especially obtained from the representatives of Eleutherococcus genus (Ptaszyńska & Załuski 2020). Another example is the extract from leaves of Chilean acorn (Cryptocarya alba): this was active against Nosema spp.…”