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Nassar AMK, Salim YM, Nour-Eldeen E, Younis MS, Kelany MM, Shebl MA, Shafey AS, Abou-Shaara HF. Seasonal screening of pesticide residues in beehive products collected from different districts in Egypt. Environ Monit Assess 2024; 196:297. [PMID: 38388839 PMCID: PMC10884052 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12451-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Pesticides are of immense importance in agriculture, but they might contaminate bees' products. In this study, samples of honey, pollen, and beeswax were collected, seasonally, from apiaries in Toshka (Aswan), El-Noubariya (El-Beheira), and Ismailia (Ismailia) cities in Egypt. The pesticide residues were analyzed using the GC-MS after being extracted and cleaned using the QuEChERS method. Results showed that samples from El-Noubariya had great content of residues followed by Ismailia, and finally Toshka. Samples collected during fall and winter had the highest pesticide residue contents. Specifically, the phenylconazole fungicide group was repeatedly detected in all the examined samples along with organophosphate insecticides. Beeswax samples had the greatest amounts of pesticide residues followed by pollen and then honey samples. Chlorpyrifos (0.07-39.16 ng/g) and profenofos (1.94-17.00 ng/g) were detected in honey samples and their products. Pyriproxyfen (57.12 ng/g) and chlorpyrifos-methyl (39.16 ng/g) were detected in great amounts in beeswax samples from Ismailia and El-Noubariya, respectively. Yet, according to health hazard and quotient studies, the amounts of pesticides detected in honey do not pose any health threats to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atef M K Nassar
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, P.O. Box 22516, Damanhour, Egypt.
| | - Yehia M Salim
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, P.O. Box 22516, Damanhour, Egypt
| | - Eman Nour-Eldeen
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, P.O. Box 22516, Damanhour, Egypt
| | - Mohamed S Younis
- Bee Research Department, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud M Kelany
- Plant Protection Department, Desert Research Center, Elamriya, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A Shebl
- Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt
| | - Abdallah S Shafey
- Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt
| | - Hossam F Abou-Shaara
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, P.O. Box 22516, Damanhour, Egypt
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Abou-Shaara HF. The response of heat shock proteins in honey bees to abiotic and biotic stressors. J Therm Biol 2024; 119:103784. [PMID: 38232472 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Honey bees, Apis mellifera, are the most important managed pollinators worldwide. They are highly impacted by various abiotic and biotic stressors, especially temperature extremes, which can lead to cellular damage and death. The induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs) has been recorded in honey bees as a response to various types of stressors. HSPs are classified into different gene families according to their molecular weights. HSPs play an important role in maintaining cellular protein homeostasis due to their contribution as molecular chaperones or co-chaperones. HSPs in honey bees have complex functions with induction even under normal colony conditions. Previous studies have suggested various functions of HSPs to protect cells from damage under exposure to environmental stressors, pollutants, and pathogens. Surprisingly, HSPs have also been found to play roles in larval development and age-related tasks. The expression of HSPs varies depending on tissue type, developmental stage, age, and stress period. This article reviews studies on HSPs (sHSPs, HSP40, HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90) in honey bees and highlights gaps in the available knowledge. This review is crucial for honey bee research, particularly in the face of climate change challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossam F Abou-Shaara
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhour, 22516, Egypt.
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Prouty C, Abou-Shaara HF, Stanford B, Ellis JD, Jack C. Oxalic acid application method and treatment intervals for reduction of Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) populations in Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies. J Insect Sci 2023; 23:13. [PMID: 38055944 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iead086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Oxalic acid (OA) is a popular miticide used to control Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) in western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies. Our aim was to investigate which method of OA application (dribbling, fogging, or vaporizing) was the most effective at reducing V. destructor infestations (Experiment 1) and to improve upon this method by determining the treatment interval that resulted in the greatest V. destructor control (Experiment 2). We used the product Api-Bioxal (97% OA) and maintained 40 honey bee colonies (10/treatment) in both experiments. In Experiment 1, the treatments included (i) dribbling 50 ml of 3% OA solution, (ii) vaporizing 4 g of solid OA, (iii) using an insect fogger supplied with 2.5% OA dissolved in ethyl alcohol, and (iv) an untreated control. After 3 weeks, only the vaporization method reduced V. destructor infestations (from 9.24 mites/100 bees pretreatment to 3.25 mites/100 bees posttreatment) and resulted in significantly increased brood amounts and numbers of adult bees over those of the controls. In Experiment 2, all colonies were treated with 4 applications of OA via vaporization at a constant concentration of 4 g OA/colony. In this experiment, the groups were separated by treatment intervals at either 3-, 5-, or 7-day intervals. We observed that 5- and 7-day treatment intervals significantly reduced V. destructor populations from pretreatment levels over that of the controls and 3-day intervals. Our data demonstrate the efficacy of OA in reducing V. destructor infestation, particularly vaporizing 4 g every 5-7 days as the most effective method of application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody Prouty
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hossam F Abou-Shaara
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhour, Egypt
| | - Branden Stanford
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry, Bureau of Plant and Apiary Inspection, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - James D Ellis
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Cameron Jack
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Abou-Shaara HF. A Comparative Study on Using Simple Pollen Substitutes to Improve Brood Rearing Activity and Characteristics of Honey Bee Workers. PAK J ZOOL 2023. [DOI: 10.17582/journal.pjz/20220117170122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Abou-Shaara HF, Al-Ghamdi AA, Khan KA, Al-Kahtani SN. Genetic network analysis between Apis mellifera subspecies based on mtDNA argues the purity of specimens from North Africa, the Levant and Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:2718-2725. [PMID: 34025158 PMCID: PMC8117108 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives This study aimed to analyze the genetic relationships between honey bee subspecies using reference specimens and recently collected specimens from different parts of the world. The purity of these specimens was discussed in light of the obtained results. Methods The genetic networks were constructed between 21 subspecies of honey bees, Apis mellifera L.: 9 in Africa, 7 in Europe and 5 in Asia. The analysis was performed using the mtDNA of these subspecies and the Population Analysis with Reticulate Trees software. Some subspecies were represented by more than two specimens based on the available online sequences. Results and conclusions The subspecies A. m. sahariensis from Africa showed unique characteristics and is genetically isolated than all other studied bee subspecies. Specimens collected from Saudi Arabia showed genetic relatedness to A. m. jemenitica, A. m. lamarckii, and some European subspecies, suggesting high degree of hybridization. The close genetic relationship between the Egyptian bees, A. m. lamarckii, and the Syrian bees, A. m. syriaca, were emphasized. The overall genetic network showed the presence of three distinct branches in relation to geographical locations. The high accurateness of the used analysis was confirmed by previous phylogenetic studies as well as the genetic relationships between hybrid bees of A. m. capensis and A. m. scutellata. The genetic networks showed the presence of bee subspecies from Africa in all branches including Europe and Asia. The study suggests the impurity of some specimens mostly due to the hybridization between subspecies. Specific recommendations for future conservation efforts of bees were presented in light of this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossam F Abou-Shaara
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhour 22516, Egypt
| | - Ahmad A Al-Ghamdi
- Chair of Engineer Abdullah Ahmad Buqshan for Bee Research, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Ali Khan
- Unit of Bee Research and Honey Production, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saad N Al-Kahtani
- Arid Land Agriculture Department, College of Agricultural Sciences & Foods, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 400, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
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Al-Ghamdi AA, Abou-Shaara HF, Ansari MJ. Effects of sugar feeding supplemented with three plant extracts on some parameters of honey bee colonies. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:2076-2082. [PMID: 33911923 PMCID: PMC8071887 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.02.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Sugar feeding is crucial to bee colonies during periods without natural nectar resources. The health and the development of bee colonies are affected by the sugar feeding type. Also, some materials can be added to the sugar feeding to boost the ability of bee colonies to withstand parasites. Three materials (mint, cinnamon, and chamomile) are used commonly to control bee parasites (e.g. Varroa mites). In the present study, the effects of these materials on the development and health of bee colonies were assessed. Sugar candy supplemented with these materials plus sugar candy only as a control group were tested. Bee colonies were fed with these feeding types weekly. Then, some parameters were evaluated. The results showed the suitability of the tested feeding types to bee colonies. Building of wax foundations was accelerated in cinnamon group. This group had also the lowest infestation rates with Varroa mites, suggesting a specific role of cinnamon in Varroa control. The colony development was significantly better in chamomile group than the other groups. Mint group showed no variations than the control group in most parameters. All feeding types showed safety to bees based on morphological characteristics and bee survival results. Practically, cinnamon is advised when building of wax combs is required while chamomile is recommended when increasing strength of colonies is needed. The role of cinnamon in controlling Varroa is recommended for further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad A Al-Ghamdi
- Chair of Engineer Abdullah Ahmad Buqshan for Bee Research, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hossam F Abou-Shaara
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhour 22516, Egypt
| | - Mohammad Javed Ansari
- Chair of Engineer Abdullah Ahmad Buqshan for Bee Research, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Botany, Hindu College Moradabad, (M.J.P. Rohilkhand University Bareilly), India
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Abou-Shaara HF, Syed Abbas A, AL-Kahtani SN, Taha EKA, Ali Khan K, Jamal ZA, Alhumaidi Alotaibi M, Ahmad B, Ahmad Khan N, Qamer S, Ishtiaq Anjum S, Khan S, Hossam Mahmoud A, Mohammed OB, Gamal El Den Nasser M. Exploring the non-coding regions in the mtDNA of some honey bee species and subspecies. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:204-209. [PMID: 33424298 PMCID: PMC7783669 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.09.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The sequence of the DNA contains coding and non-coding regions. The role of the non-coding regions is not known and is hypothesized to maintain the structure of the DNA. This study aimed to investigate the structure of the non-coding sequences in honey bees utilizing bioinformatics. The non-coding sequences of the mtDNA of three honey bee species Apis dorosata, Apis florea, Apis cerana, and ten subspecies of Apis mellifera were investigated. Different techniques were utilized to explore the non-coding regions of these bees including sequence analysis, phylogenetic relationships, enzymatic digestion, and statistical tests. Variations in size and sequences of nucleotides were detected in the studied species and subspecies, but with the same nucleotide abundance (i.e. nucleotides A were more than T and nucleotides G were less than C). The phylogenetic tree based on the non-coding regions was partially similar to the known phylogenetic relationships between these bees. The enzymatic digestion using four restriction enzymes confirmed the results of the phylogenetic relationships. The statistical analysis based on numerical codes for nucleotides showed the absence of significant variations between the studied bees in their sequences in a similar way to results of neutrality tests. This study suggests that the non-coding regions have the same functional role in all the studied bees regardless of the number of nucleotides, and not just to maintain the structure of the DNA. This is approximately the first study to shade lights on the non-coding regions of the mtDNA of honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossam F. Abou-Shaara
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhour, 22516, Egypt
| | - Afshan Syed Abbas
- Department of Zoology, University of Education, Lower Mall Campus, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Saad N. AL-Kahtani
- Arid Land Agriculture Department, Faculty of Agriculture & Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
| | - El-Kazafy A. Taha
- Economic Entomology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt
| | - Khalid Ali Khan
- Unit of Bee Research and Honey Production, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zakia A. Jamal
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Al-Sharm, Yanbu El-Bahr 46429, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Bilal Ahmad
- Department of Zoology, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Naveed Ahmad Khan
- Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Zoology Division, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
| | - Samina Qamer
- Department of Zoology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Syed Ishtiaq Anjum
- Department of Zoology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Sanaullah Khan
- Department of Zoology, University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Ahmed Hossam Mahmoud
- Department Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Osama B. Mohammed
- Department Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Abou-Shaara HF. Utilizing bioinformatics to detect genetic similarities between African honey bee subspecies. J Genet 2019; 98:96. [PMID: 31767817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Various honey bees, especially subspecies Apis mellifera, occur in Africa and are distribute across the continent. The genetic relationships and identical genetic characteristics between honey bee subspecies in Africa (African bee subspecies) have not been widely investigated using sequence analysis. On the other hand, bioinformatics are developed rapidly and have diverse applications. It is anticipated that bioinformatics can show the genetic relationships and similarities among subspecies. These points have high importance, especially subspecies with identical genetic characteristics can be infected with the same group of pathogens, which have implications on honey bee health. In this study, the mitochondrial DNA sequences of four African subspecies and Africanized bees were subjected to the analyses of base composition, phylogeny, shared gene clusters, enzymatic digestion, and open reading frames. High identical base composition was detected in the studied subspecies, and high identical results from all tests were found between A. m. scutellata and A. m. capensis followed by A. m. intermissa and A. m. monticola. The least genetic relationships were found between A. m. lamarckii and the other subspecies. This study presents insights into the genetic aspects of African bee subspecies and highlights similarity and dissimilarity aspects. Also, Africanized honey bees derived from A. m. scutellata showed high genetic similarities to other African bees, especially A. m. capensis. Additionally, specific primers to identify these subspecies were designed and tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossam F Abou-Shaara
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhour 22516, Egypt.
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Abou-Shaara HF, Abd Elhamid AM. Scientific Note: Effects of Nuclei Type on Characteristics of Creamed Honey. apiculture 2017; 32:59-62. [DOI: 10.17519/apiculture.2017.04.32.1.59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
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Elhamid AMA, Abou-Shaara HF. Producing Clover and Cotton Creamed Honey under Cooling Conditions and Potential use as Feeding to Honey Bee Colonies. apiculture 2016; 31:59. [DOI: 10.17519/apiculture.2016.04.31.1.59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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