page A-14

ONGOING RESEARCH
Plant Resin Identified to Improve Bee Resistance to Fungal Toxins.  Honey
bees and their
resource-rich nests are hosts to a wide range of fungi, including species
that produce toxic
substances called mycotoxins, which workers detoxify using gut enzymes. In
bioassay
experiments, bees that consumed extracts of propolis, a complex mixture of
plant resins collected
by bees and used as a general caulking material in the hive, had an enhanced
capacity to detoxify
mycotoxins. These results suggest that the enzymes involved in mycotoxin
detoxification are
enhanced by ingestion of propolis, which may serve a hitherto unrecognized
role in honey bee
health.
PROJECT CONTACT
May R. Berenbaum ([log in to unmask])


-- 
Juanse Barros J.
APIZUR S.A.
Carrera 695
Gorbea - CHILE
+56-45-271693
08-3613310
http://apiaraucania.blogspot.com/
[log in to unmask]

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