Effects of Agaricus bisporus Mushroom Extract on Honey Bees Infected with Nosema ceranae

Abstract

<i>Agaricus bisporus</i> water crude extract was tested on honey bees for the first time. The first part of the cage experiment was set for selecting one concentration of the <i>A. bisporus</i> extract. Concentration of 200 µg/g was further tested in the second part of the experiment where bee survival and food consumption were monitored together with <i>Nosema</i> infection level and expression of five genes (abaecin, hymenoptaecin, defensin, apidaecin, and vitellogenin) that were evaluated in bees sampled on days 7 and 15. Survival rate of <i>Nosema</i>-infected bees was significantly greater in groups fed with <i>A. bisporus</i>-enriched syrup compared to those fed with a pure sucrose syrup. Besides, the anti-<i>Nosema</i> effect of <i>A. bisporus</i> extract was greatest when applied from the third day which coincides with the time of infection with <i>N. ceranae.</i> Daily food consumption did not differ between the groups indicating good acceptability and palatability of the extract. <i>A. bisporus</i> extract showed a stimulative effect on four out of five monitored genes. Both anti-<i>Nosema</i> and nutrigenomic effects of <i>A. bisporus</i> extract were observed when supplementation started at the moment of <i>N. ceranae</i> infection or preventively (before or simultaneously with the infection).