The effects of infusion of wormwood (<i>Artemisia absinthium</i>) and European red pine (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i>) on honey bee health and against nosemosis
APIDOLOGIE, cilt.57, sa.4, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 57 Sayı: 4
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s13592-026-01295-z
- Dergi Adı: APIDOLOGIE
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Geobase, Zoological Record, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest)
- Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Nosema infection negatively affects colony health, productivity, and survival. The most commonly used drug for treating Nosema infection is fumagillin, but due to its side effects and being banned in some regions, alternative approaches need to be explored. This study aimed to examine the effects of an infusion prepared from the aerial parts of wormwood and the buds of European red pine on bee health and Nosema infection. The effects of the infusion on bee health were determined by a chronic toxicity test (10-day toxicity), locomotor activity, and histopathological examination of the midgut. Also, the anti-Nosema activity of the infusion was determined by comparison with fumagillin under laboratory conditions. The 10-day toxicity test showed that the infusion was well-tolerated, maintaining a high survival rate of 99.2% compared to 91.4% in the sugar-fed control group (p = 0.004). Histopathological analysis demonstrated that the midgut epithelium of bees treated with the infusion maintained normal epithelial cellular morphology and intercellular junctions; however, a fragmented peritrophic membrane was observed, indicating a sublethal physiological stress on the midgut's non-cellular barriers. Both the infusion and fumagillin treatments significantly reduced Nosema spore loads compared to the infected control (p < 0.001). It was found that the infusion had no significant effect on locomotor activity in the forager and young bees. The study demonstrated that the infusion was well-tolerated by bees in the short term without adversely affecting locomotor activity, and it was as effective as fumagillin in reducing Nosema spore loads.