Nicotine does not reduce Nosema ceranae infection in honey bees

Abstract

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Sweet solutions: nectar chemistry and quality

“…This compound, identified when honey extracts from important bee plants were screened for their activity against the intestinal parasite Crithidia bombi , removes the flagellum anchoring the parasite to the bumblebee hindgut. In honeybees, dietary caffeine reduces spore loads of the protozoan Nosema ceranae but nicotine does not [ 45 , 116 ]. Whether secondary metabolites in nectar can clear or prevent infections may depend on modification by the gut microbiome [ 117 ].…”