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The promise of probiotics in honeybee health and disease management

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Abstract

Over the last decades, losses of bee populations have been observed worldwide. A panoply of biotic and abiotic factors, as well as the interplay among them, has been suggested to be responsible for bee declines, but definitive causes have not yet been identified. Among pollinators, the honeybee Apis mellifera is threatened by various diseases and environmental stresses, which have been shown to impact the insect gut microbiota that is known to be fundamental for host metabolism, development and immunity. Aimed at preserving the gut homeostasis, many researches are currently focusing on improving the honeybee health through the administration of probiotics e.g., by boosting the innate immune response against microbial infections. Here, we review the knowledge available on the characterization of the microbial diversity associated to honeybees and the use of probiotic symbionts as a promising approach to maintain honeybee fitness, sustaining a healthy gut microbiota and enhancing its crucial relationship with the host immune system.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Univ. Manouba, ISBST, BVBGR-LR11ES31, Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, 2020, Ariana, Tunisia

    Khaoula Abdi, Ahmed Sleheddine Masmoudi & Ameur Cherif

  2. Department of Basic Sciences, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, 2010, Manouba, Tunisia

    Mourad Ben Said

  3. Laboratory of Microbiology, National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, 2010, Manouba, Tunisia

    Mourad Ben Said

  4. Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l’Ambiente (DeFENS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

    Elena Crotti

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  1. Khaoula Abdi
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  2. Mourad Ben Said
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  3. Elena Crotti
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  4. Ahmed Sleheddine Masmoudi
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  5. Ameur Cherif
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KA conceived the idea, performed literature search and wrote the review. MBS edited the manuscript, and MBS, EC, ASM and AC finalized it.

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Correspondence to Khaoula Abdi.

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Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt.

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Abdi, K., Ben Said, M., Crotti, E. et al. The promise of probiotics in honeybee health and disease management. Arch Microbiol 205, 73 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-023-03416-z

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