Sakla Rasha S, El-Gendy Rehab M, Ali Jamin, Hafez Mogeda M Abdel
Plant Protection Research Institute, Agriculture Research Centre, Giza, 12619, Egypt.
College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, 130117, China.
BMC Plant Biol. 2025 May 2;25(1):578. doi: 10.1186/s12870-025-06108-6.
The parasitic mite Varroa destructor poses a significant threat to honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies, leading to substantial losses in the beekeeping industry worldwide. This study evaluated the efficacy of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) as a potential control agent for Varroa mites. Two application methods were tested: a 20% w/v ethanolic extract spray and 10 g dried plant smoke, and compared them with formic acid, a commercially available treatment. Experimental colonies, naturally infested with Varroa mites, were divided into four groups: those treated with nettle extract, dried plant smoke, formic acid, or left untreated as a control. Several bioassays were conducted to assess these treatments' efficacy, including infestation reductions and mortality assessments. Additionally, oxidative stress levels, indicated by malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity in honeybee workers and pupae were analysed. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify key bioactive compounds in the stinging nettle extract. Results showed significant reductions in mite infestations (88.93%, 76.28%, and 100% on adult bees; 86.73%, 94.82%, and 100% within sealed brood for nettle extract, nettle smoke, and formic acid, respectively). The stinging nettle treatments exhibited lower bee mortality compared to formic acid, which concurrently elevated oxidative stress in honeybees. Nettle extract increased GST activity in workers while reducing it in pupae, and both treatments decreased MDA levels. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the ethanolic extract identified bioactive compounds, including isopropyl palmitate, (9Z,12Z,15Z)-octadeca-9,12,15-trienoic acid, trans-totarol, 4',6-dimethoxyisoflavone-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, and 1,2,4-butanetriol. These findings suggest that stinging nettle is an effective, eco-friendly alternative for managing V. destructor, enhancing honeybee health and promoting colony sustainability.
寄生螨类狄斯瓦螨对蜜蜂（西方蜜蜂）蜂群构成重大威胁，给全球养蜂业造成巨大损失。本研究评估了荨麻作为狄斯瓦螨潜在防治剂的效果。测试了两种施用方法：20%（w/v）乙醇提取物喷雾和10克干燥植物烟熏，并将其与市售处理剂甲酸进行比较。将自然感染狄斯瓦螨的实验蜂群分为四组：分别用荨麻提取物、干燥植物烟熏、甲酸处理，或不处理作为对照。进行了多项生物测定以评估这些处理方法的效果，包括螨虫感染减少情况和死亡率评估。此外，还分析了蜜蜂工蜂和蛹中由丙二醛（MDA）浓度指示的氧化应激水平以及谷胱甘肽S-转移酶（GST）活性。采用气相色谱-质谱联用（GC-MS）技术鉴定荨麻提取物中的关键生物活性化合物。结果表明，螨虫感染显著减少（荨麻提取物、荨麻烟熏和甲酸处理的成年蜜蜂螨虫感染率分别降低88.93%、76.28%和100%；封盖子脾内分别降低86.73%、94.82%和100%）。与甲酸相比，荨麻处理导致的蜜蜂死亡率更低，而甲酸同时会提高蜜蜂的氧化应激水平。荨麻提取物增加了工蜂的GST活性，同时降低了蛹中的GST活性，两种处理均降低了MDA水平。对乙醇提取物的气相色谱-质谱联用（GC-MS）分析鉴定出了生物活性化合物，包括棕榈酸异丙酯、（9Z,12Z,15Z）-9,12,15-十八碳三烯酸、反式落羽松醇、4',6-二甲氧基异黄酮-7-O-β-D-葡萄糖苷和1,2,4-丁三醇。这些研究结果表明，荨麻是防治狄斯瓦螨的一种有效且环保的替代方法，可增强蜜蜂健康并促进蜂群可持续性。
