The administration of probiotics and prebiotics to honey bees (Apis mellifera) could help them cope with the effects of global warming, making the colonies more resistant to rising temperatures. The conclusion comes from a study conducted by Iranian and Canadian researchers.
The scientific team evaluated the impact of dietary supplements composed of a commercial probiotic, the Progen, and the prebiotic inulin. For 21 days, groups of worker bees received different doses of these supplements before being exposed to four distinct temperature regimes: 4°C, 15°C, 35°C and 40°C.
The researchers monitored the survival rates of the insects and analyzed the production of enzymes associated with responses to thermal stress. The results revealed that the bees that received the highest doses of the supplements showed a greater likelihood of surviving the higher temperatures.
According to the study, each increase in the administered dose translated into an improvement in survival rates. In addition, the bees that received the highest dose produced lower amounts of enzymes related to stress and exhibited more diverse and abundant gut microbial communities.
For comparison purposes, the scientists also analyzed a group of bees that did not receive any supplementation. These insects recorded the lowest survival rates and the highest levels of enzymes associated with thermal stress.
The authors consider that the results point to the potential of probiotics and prebiotics as a tool to mitigate the effects of climate change on bee populations. According to the researchers, strengthening the intestinal health of these pollinators could contribute to increasing their resilience to episodes of extreme heat, increasingly frequent due to global warming.
Bees play a fundamental role in the pollination of agricultural crops and natural ecosystems, being considered essential for food production and for biodiversity maintenance. The study suggests that nutritional strategies may come to be integrated into future measures to protect these insects against the challenges posed by climate change.
