Role of Some Wild Herbal Extracts in Management of American Foulbrood in Honeybee Colonies

Abstract

American foulbrood (AFB) is one of the most contagious and dangerous among honey bee diseases. The causative agent is the Gram-positive bacterium, Paenibacillus larvae. The crude methanolic extracts of three wild herbs and tylosin antibiotic were tested against artificially AFB-infected honey bee colonies. The laboratory tests revealed the safety of these crude herbal extracts for adult honey bee workers. Malcolmia pygmaea (Cruciferae) extract was the most potent in control the AFB disease followed by Marrubium alysson (Labiatae) and Lobularia arabica (Cruciferae) was the least effective herb. Tylosin antibiotic was the weakest against the disease control, indicating to the bacterial resistance. Hence, the three crude extracts surpassed tylosin antibiotic, as well as they increased the workers brood rearing activity and the amounts of stored honey and pollen when compared with the control colonies. Perhaps, they enhanced the honey bees immune system. This suggests their suitability as antimicrobial and antioxidant agents in the control of other honey bee diseases and in food and drug industries. Further detailed studies are required to determine the constituents of the three herbal extracts and to evaluate their therapeutic applications.