A Histopathological Study to Evaluate Lactic Acid Bacterial Effects within Honeybee Larval Guts as a Control Agent of American Foulbrood Disease; In vitro.

Abstract

Honeybee specific lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were potentially demonstrated with their high biotic potential within honeybee gut. LABs are well known for their probiotic and treatment effects. In this study, honeybee Larvae were reared artificially in three groups: control group reared on an artificial diet only; an infected group with Paenibacillus larvae larvae (P. l. larvae), the causative agent of one of the popular honeybee diseases that infect brood; American foulbrood (AFB) disease. Larvae of this group were fed on an artificial diet mixed with pathogen spores. The third group; LAB treated larvae which were exposed to honeybee LABs and the pathogen spores mixed with larval food. The histological impact was determined upon infected and treated honeybee 5th larval instar midgut. Investigations of anterior midgut showed alterations in the histological integrity between groups. However, control and LAB treated groups showed a complete health status of midgut epithelial cells and their components. On the other hand, the infected group with P. l. larvae revealed a dramatic highly damaged midgut epithelial cells. Cells lost their shape and their boundaries with complete lysis of cell membranes. Aggregation of nuclei and a complete distortion of chromatin material. The results demonstrated that honeybee LAB could help in reducing and limiting of this lethal bacterial disease, AFB. (English) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]