Assessing the antiparasitic potential of Bifidobacterium sp. Ersapi20 isolated from the cuticle of honeybees against Varroa destructor Oudemans, 1904 (Acari: Varroidae)

Year 2024, Volume: 48 Issue: 4, 369 - 381

Mustafa Ersal , Kemal Karabağ , Tansel Yalçın

https://doi.org/10.16970/entoted.1497693

Abstract

The mite Varroa destructor Oudemans, 1904 (Acari: Varroidae) is a major contributor to honeybee colony losses worldwide. Actinobacteria are known for their wide distribution and production of biologically active compounds effective against various pathogens, including bacteria and parasites. This study aims to investigate the bioactive compounds produced by actinobacterial symbionts associated with Apis mellifera L., 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and evaluate their acaricidal potential against V. destructor. In 2022, a strain of Bifidobacterium sp. ERSapi20 was isolated from worker bees in Antalya, Türkiye, using a culture-based method. The antiparasitic activity of the extracellular solution and intracellular extract of the strain was assessed through direct spraying on V. destructor at varying concentrations of insect Ringer solution (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%). The extracellular solution achieved 90% mite mortality within 16 hours, while the intracellular extract resulted in 100% mite mortality within 18 hours. This is the first report demonstrating acaricidal activity against V. destructor using intracellular extracts of actinobacterial strains. These findings support the hypothesis that honeybee-associated actinobacteria produce compounds effective against varroa mites, highlighting the potential of natural products for controlling V. destructor in honeybee colonies.

Keywords

Actinobacteria, antiparasitic activity, Apis mellifera, secondary metabolite, Varroa destructor

Ethical Statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Supporting Institution

This study was funded by the Scientific Research Projects Unit of Akdeniz University under the project number of FDK-2022-5745.

Project Number

FDK-2022-5745

Thanks

We are thankful to the Turkish Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBITAK) for supporting the researcher with YÖK 100/2000 Scholarship Program and 2211/C National PhD Scholarship Program in the Priority Fields in Science and Technology, respectively. Additionally, we thank all the beekeepers who generously provided samples from their hives.

Bal arılarının kutikulasından izole edilen Bifidobacterium sp. ERSapi20 suşunun Varroa destructor Oudemans, 1904 (Acari: Varroidae)’a karşı antiparazitik potansiyelinin değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Varroa destructor Oudemans, 1904 (Acari: Varroidae), bal arısı kolonilerinin kaybına ciddi katkıda bulunduğu bilinmektedir. Aktinobakteri türleri ise geniş bir dağılıma sahiptir ve bakteriler ve parazitler gibi çeşitli patojenlere karşı biyolojik olarak aktif bileşikler üretirler. Bu temele dayanarak, bu çalışma Apis mellifera L., 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) ile ilişkili aktinobakteri simbiyontları tarafından üretilen biyolojik olarak aktif bileşikleri araştırmayı ve bunların V. destructor'a karşı akarisit potansiyelini değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Kültür bazlı bir yöntem kullanılarak işçi arılardan Bifidobacterium sp. ERSapi20 suşu Antalya, Türkiye lokasyonundan 2022 yılında izole edilmiş ve tanımlanmıştır. Antiparazitik aktiviteyi belirlemek için, suşun ekstraselüler ve intraselüler ekstraktı, böcek Ringer çözeltisinin değişen konsantrasyonlarında (%0, %25, %50, %75 ve %100) püskürtme yöntemi kullanılarak V. destructor'a uygulanmıştır. Ekstraselüler çözeltinin 16 saat içinde %90 oranında akar ölümüne yol açtığı, intraselüler ekstraktın ise 18 saat içinde %100 oranında akar ölümüne neden olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bu, aktinobakteriyel suşların intraselüler ekstraktı kullanılarak V. destructor'a karşı akarisit aktivitesinin rapor edildiği ilk çalışmadır. Bu araştırma, bal arılarının varroa akarlarına karşı etkili bileşikler üreten aktinobakterilerle ilişki kurduğu hipotezini desteklemekte ve V. destructor'u kolonilerde kontrol etmek için doğal ürünlerin kullanılmasına dair bilgiler sunmaktadır.

Keywords

Aktinobakteri, antiparazitik aktivite, Apis mellifera, sekonder metabolit, Varroa destructor

Project Number

FDK-2022-5745

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