Effect of Echinacea purpurea herbal extract on immune parameters in honey bee (Apis mellifera)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M. Sc. Student, University of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

2 Associate Professor, University of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

3 Asistance Professor, University of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

Abstract

This study investigated Echinacea purpurea herbal extract in honey bee nutrition and its effect immune system including measuring total haemocyte counts and phenoloxidase enzyme. 28 colonies were randomly divided into 4 treatments and 7 replicates.1- sugar syup – control, 2- sugar syrup enriched with 10 cc extract 3- sugar syrup enriched with 20 cc extract, 4- sugar syrup enriched with 30 cc extract. This experiment was conducted in the laboratory and Apiaries University of Tehran-Karaj in completely randomized design repeated in time during spring and summer of 2013. The results showed treatments had a significant effect on phenol oxidase enzyme activity in short and long-term immune (p<0.05), the enzyme was higher in bees that get sugar syrup enriched with 30 cc extract and lower in bees that get sugar syrup. In total haemocyte counts treatments had significant effect in short-term (p<0.05), the factor was highest was in bees that get sugar syrup enriched with 20 cc extract and lower in bees that get sugar syrup.too was observed that higher in bees that get sugar syrup enriched with 30 cc extract and lower in bees that get sugar syrup in long immune. The results showed that this extract had a positive effect on the immune system.

Keywords

References

  1. Alaux, C., Ducloz, F., Crauser, D. & Conte, Y. (2010). Diet effects on honeybee immunocompetence. Biology Letters, 5(6), 562-566. 
  2. Calderone, N. W. (1999). Use of essential oils for the control of Varroa jacobsoni Oud. in honey bee colonies.
  3. Cornman, R. S., Tarpy, D. R., Chen, Y., Jeffreys, L., Lopez, D. & Pettis, J. S. (2012). Pathogen webs in collapsing honey bee colonies. PloS One, 4(7), 555-562.
  4. Currier, N.L. & Miller, S.C. (2001). Echinacea purpurea and melatonin augment natural-killer cells in leukemic mice and prolong life span. The Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 5(7), 241-51.
  5. Evans, J., Aronstein, K., Chen, Y., Hetru, C., Imler, J. L. & Jiang, H. (2006).Immune pathways and defence mechanisms in honey bees Apis mellifera. Insect Molecular Biology, 9(15), 645-56.
  6. Ghaemi, A., FarshbafMoghadam, M. & Yazdani, N. (2007). Evaluation of antiviral activity of aerial part of Echinacea purpurea extract against herpes simplex virus type 1. 9(4), 59-64. (in Farsi)
  7. Human, H., Brodschneider, R., Dietemann, V. & Dively, G. (2013). Miscellaneous standard methods for Apis mellifera research. Journal of Apicultural Research, 7(4), 52-58
  8. Ismail, AE-HM., Ghoniemy, H. A. & Owayss, A. A. (2006). Combatting honeybee Varroa mites by plant oils alone or in an IPM program.  In: Proceeding of the 2nd conference of farm integrated pest management, (2), 221-227.
  9. Korner, P. & Schmid-Hempel, P. (2004). In vivo dynamics of an immune response in the bumble bee. Bombus terrestris Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 17(87), 59-66.
  10. Laughton, A. M. & Siva-Jothy, M. T. (2010). A standardised protocol for measuring phenoloxidase and prophenoloxidase in the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Apidologie, 4(1), 65-81.
  11. Omidbeigi, R. (2005). Processing ofmedicinal herbs. Astan ghods razavi, 1191. (in Farsi)
  12. Pohorecka, K. (2004). Effect of standardized plant herb extracts on general condition of the honey bee. Bull Vet Inst Pulawy, (48), 415-9.
  13. Poncea-Andronescu, B. & Curcă, D. (2009). American Foulbrood in honey bees. Revista Română de Medicină Veterinară, 19(3), 31-47.
  14. Williams, C. A. & Lamprecht, E. D. (2008). Some commonly fed herbs and other functional foods in equine nutrition: a review. The Veterinary Journal, (178), 21-31.
  15. Zakaria, M. & Allam, S. F. (2007). Effect of some aromatic oils and chemical acaricides on the mechanical defense behavior of honey bees against Varroa invasion and relationship with sensation responses. Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 9(3), 653-658.

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 05 October 2015
  • Revise Date: 24 September 2016
  • Accept Date: 31 December 2016

Share

How to cite

Statistics