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The effect of toxic nectar and pollen from Spathodea campanulata on the worker survival of Melipona fasciculata Smith and Melipona seminigra Friese, two Amazonian stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)
Abstract and Figures
Spathodea campanulata is an African plant introduced into South America and other
tropical and subtropical areas for ornamental purposes. This plant has been linked to
insect mortality, bees included. However, its effects on the Neotropical Melipona are as
yet unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of S. campanulata
nectar and pollen on the survival of Melipona fasciculata Smith and Melipona seminigra
Friese workers. A total of 120 newly emerged workers of each species were divided into
groups of 10 individuals and confined in boxes. They were submitted to the following
diet treatments: S. campanulata nectar or 11% sucrose solution (nectar control); 11%
sucrose solution and S. campanulata pollen or 11% sucrose solution and the species’
original pollen (pollen control). A higher mortality of workers was detected in the
groups fed with toxics nectar and pollen (M. fasciculata, p<0.01; M. seminigra, p<0.01)
than on the respective controls. Our results demonstrate that nectar and pollen from
S. campanulata affected the survival of M. fasciculata and M. seminigra worker bees.
We thus recommend that S. campanulata should not be provided as food source for
stingless bees.
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... Live statistics were used to align the X and Y mean values of the Annexin-V FITC or PIstained quadrant populations by compensation. Data analysis was performed with BD FACS Diva software program11 .To assay the stage of cell cycle arrest in a flow cytometry Molt-4, U937 and K562(1x10 6 ) cells were treated with WTE (IC50 dose) for 18 hrs. Cells were washed with PBS, fixed with cold methanol. ...
... Cells were pelleted down, dissolved in cold PBS, treated with RNase for 30 min at 37 °C and stained with Propidium iodide and kept in dark for 15 min. Cell cycle phase distribution of nuclear DNA was determined on FACS (Becton Dickinson FACS Fortessa 4 laser cytometer), fluorescence detector equipped with 488 nm argon laser light source and 623 nm band pass filter (linear scale) using BD FACS Diva software (Becton Dickinson).11 ...
... [2] The African plant Spathodea campanulata is utilized in tropical and subtropical regions for ornamentation and the treatment of a number of ailments. [3] In many nations, including Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Gabon, Cameroon, and Senegal, Spathodea campanulata is a common plant. In Ghana, a decoction made from the Spathodea campanulata leaves and stem bark is traditionally used to treat various ailments, such as skin rashes, hemorrhoids, and stomach ulcers. ...
The present study evaluates the effects of the plant seed extract of Spathodea Campanulata administration on microbial (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavin, Candida tropicalis and Fusarium oxysporium.) and ulcer inhibition on common Veterinary Albino rats.Spathodea campanulata is an African plant which is used in tropical and subtropical areas for ornamental purposes as well as for the treatment of a range of diseases such as wounds, skin rashes, and haemorrhoids. Materials and Methods: Indomethacin for gastric-ulcer induction, Omeprazole and Tetracycline as standard drug, Disc diffusion method for antifungal and Histopathology for ulcer index. Results: The effects of ethanol seeds extract were studied for antifungal and antiulcer. Where a significant activity observed in various concentration on different fungi indicating a positive agent for the selected pathogens. Also, with 40 albino rats over a period of 7 days, the rats were divided into five groups, those in group one served as the control, group two as the negative control (Indomethacin), group three as the positive control (Omeprazole) and group four and five are dosed ranged groups from 200-400mg/kg extract. Tissue injury and its infiltration were examined and scored; the length and breadth of the lesion were measured for ulcer index. Inflammatory and fibrosis alteration were present in ulcer treated rats, at days 7 colonic wall thickening and fibrotic remodelling were evident as well as blood vessels remodelling. The percentage rate of healing was 10.03% at 200 ppm and 25.51% at 500ppm. The present findings provide an integrated view of ulcer healing processes occurring in the ulcer induced colonic compartment of rats induced by indomethacin. Conclusion: These ulcerogenic alterations may represent a suitable basis for understanding the effects of Spathodea campanulata ethanol seeds extract to ulcer treatment as well as an antifungal.
... The copious amount of highly concentrated nectar represents an important source of water and sugars for vertebrate pollinators. However, in the Neotropics, it causes high mortality of stingless bees (Queiroz et al. 2014). This mortality is caused by toxins present in the nectar (Santos et al. 2017;Trigo and Dos Santos 2000). ...
Costa Rica is one of the most diverse countries in the Neotropics. It has the highest species concentration per unit area of terrestrial ecosystems. The country has a vascular flora of approximately 10 712 species, of which 1048 (9.7%) are introduced, and of these, 47 (0.4%) are considered invasive. Invasive plants are linked to species extinctions and ecosystem simplification and usually spread from agricultural systems into the natural forest and other environments such as wetlands. Introduced old‐world pastures (especially African) have the potential to invade environments dominated by native grasses such as dry and wet savannas. Although we distinguish environments that are very susceptible to invasive plants, such as oceanic islands (Cocos Island), there is not enough detailed and updated information to design contingency plans to manage and prevent the spread of these species. Costa Rica's legal framework is advanced in this respect, and there is an online list of introduced species. However, there are major research gaps and a lack of monitoring and educational programs reaching out to the general public to prevent the indiscriminate spread of introduced plants. Botanical gardens, commercial nurseries, and organizations doing landscaping services are at a high risk of becoming dispersal foci of invasive species. A more detailed information system on invasive plants is critical to identify risks and educate the public. Also, more systematic monitoring and information systems on invasive plants and invasive organisms, in general, are required at the regional level since this phenomenon is not unique to one country. Establishing regional systems for research and monitoring of introduced organisms represents a major challenge considering that the intensity of human migrations and the exchange of germplasm can only increase in the near future, with both phenomena heightened by the progression of climate change. Therefore, it is likely that cases of invasive organisms will increase in the near future.
... En lo que se refiere a la toxicidad de S. campanulata a insectos, es posible relacionar la mortalidad de abejas, mosquitos y hormigas con la entrada de los mismos a las inflorescencias de la planta. De acuerdo con Queiroz et al. (2014) ésta puede deberse a la presencia de sustancias mucilaginosas junto al néctar en botones florales y flores jóvenes. El mismo autor indica que la mayoría de los insectos muertos encontrados en las flores estuvo compuesta por especies de abejas, las que no actúan como polinizadoras de la planta. ...
Spathodea campanulata is an ornamental plant species native to Africa introduced to Brazil whose flowers produce large amounts of nectar that is toxic to insects. The aim of this work was to assess the insecticidal potential of S. campanulata nectar through mortality tests performed on Sitophilus zeamais in Assis, São Paulo State, Brazil. The highest sugar concentrations were recorded in nectar harvested from flowers in the evening. Pure nectar spray treatments showed a control efficiency of 89% of the insect population, which was a statistically significant difference as related to other nectar and control treatments. © 2015, Sociedad Colombiana de Entomologia. All rights reserved.
... En lo que se refiere a la toxicidad de S. campanulata a insectos, es posible relacionar la mortalidad de abejas, mosquitos y hormigas con la entrada de los mismos a las inflorescencias de la planta. De acuerdo con Queiroz et al. (2014) ésta puede deberse a la presencia de sustancias mucilaginosas junto al néctar en botones florales y flores jóvenes. El mismo autor indica que la mayoría de los insectos muertos encontrados en las flores estuvo compuesta por especies de abejas, las que no actúan como polinizadoras de la planta. ...
Spathodea campanulata is an ornamental plant species native to Africa introduced to Brazil whose flowers
produce large amounts of nectar that is toxic to insects. The aim of this work was to assess the insecticidal potential of S. campanulata nectar through mortality tests performed on Sitophilus zeamais in Assis, São Paulo State, Brazil. The highest sugar concentrations were recorded in nectar harvested from flowers in the evening. Pure nectar spray treatments showed a control efficiency of 89% of the insect population, which was a statistically ignificant difference as related to other nectar and control treatments.
Spathodea campanulata plant has been traditionally used for many ailments. The anti-proliferative activity of bark extract of Spathodea campanulata (BESC) has been investigated against three human leukemic cell lines U937, K562, and HL-60 where IC50 values are calculated to be 20.5µg/ml, 19.45µg/ml & 20.14µg/ml respectively whereas in RAW264.7 cells showed insignificant reduction in O.D. values than control. Morphologically, Cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation, and formation of apoptotic bodies are characteristic a feature of apoptosis has been found on all the treated cells but not in control cells. Gel electrophoresis study shows fragmented DNA in the form of ladder and Flow cytometric analysis showed an appreciable number of cells in early & late apoptotic stages. A significant change in the mitochondrial membrane potential was observed in the BESC treated leukemia cells with MMP shift assay. The cells are getting arrested in the sub-G1 & G1 phases of the cell cycle. Activation of Caspase 9 and 3 and reduction in Caspase 8 confirms the apoptosis was mediated through intrinsic pathway activation.
The anticancer activity of plant extract has already reported. We evaluated the cytotoxic and apoptosis effect of bark extract of Spathodea campanulata, on glioma cell lines. It was found that extract significantly decreased viable cell and caused apoptosis, which is further confirmed by morphologically. Gel electrophoresis study shows fragmented DNA in the form of multiple bands and Flow cytometric analysis revealed an appreciable number of cells in early & late apoptotic stages. A significant change in the mitochondrial membrane potential was obtained in the BESC treated glioma cells with MMP shift assay. The cells were arrested mostly in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle.
The growing demand for food has intensified the search for compounds of plant origin to protect field crops from predators and pathogens, as these compounds have less environmental impact and are considered healthier than synthetic compounds. Among plant species with insecticidal activity, Spathodea campanulata has been identified as a potential source of insecticidal compounds. Therefore, in this study we verified the insecticidal effect of nectar from S. campanulata against three different insects. In addition, the oxidant activity of nectar and proteomic assay were conducted to identify the insecticide potential. Both gross and dialyzate nectar showed a promising toxic effect against Euschistus heros (Fabr.), Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hübner) insects. According to oxidant tests, non-denatured nectar showed a higher oxidant activity than denatured nectar, in both albumin degradation and TBARS tests. SDS-PAGE and 2D-PAGE were used to characterize the nectar proteins, revealing 13 spots that were compatible to either proteins or peptides. The most relevant spots were analyzed by mass spectrometry, confirming the presence of proteins associated with insecticidal activity. In conclusion, it is hypothesized that S. campanulata nectar has insecticidal effects and this activity is linked to the classes of pro-oxidant proteins or peptides present in its chemical composition.
The toxicological stress induced by pesticides, particularly neonicotinoid insecticides, and its consequences in bees has been the focus of much recent attention, particularly for honey bees. However, the emphasis on honey bees and neonicotinoids has led to neglect of the relevance of stingless bees, the prevailing pollinators of natural and agricultural tropical ecosystems, and of other agrochemicals, including other pesticides and even leaf fertilizers. Consequently, studies focusing on agrochemical effects on stingless bees are sparse, usually limited to histopathological studies, and lack a holistic assessment of the effects of these compounds on physiology and behavior. Such effects have consequences for individual and colony fitness and are likely to affect both the stingless bee populations and the associated community, thereby producing a hierarchy of consequences thus far overlooked. Herein, we review the current literature on stingless bee-agrochemical interactions and discuss the underlying mechanisms involved in reported stress symptoms, as well as the potential consequences based on the peculiarities of these pollinators.
This review cover's some data from studies about toxic plants. There are plants that produce toxic pollen or nectar, and these plants were used in laboratory bioassays, confirming toxic effects against bees. Most of information on chemical structures of toxins and their effects on insects and mammals has been obtained from research. Such knowledge can help us to discover the chemical nature of bee poisoning by these plants.
KEY WORDS
Bees; poisoning; plants; toxicity; pollen; nectar
Stingless bees use nectar and pollen as their main food resources, and several alternatives to them have been investigated for beekeeping. This study evaluated nutritional alternatives for the Amazonian stingless bee Melipona flavolineata, looking for a substitute for honey and processed pollen. The following food replacements were compared to honey (H1): inverted sugar syrup with minerals (H2); inverted sugar syrup with amino acids and vitamins in the following concentrations: 0.5% (H3), 1.0% (H4) and 10% (H5). To substitute for processed pollen (P1), we tested foods inoculated with M. flavolineata processed pollen, which consisted of commercial pollen of A. mellifera (P2); brewer's yeast (P3); and soybean extract with two different protein concentrations: 12% (P4) and 18% (P5). The nutritional value of the diet was assessed on the daily intake, on the size of hypopharyngeal gland acini and on the size of oocytes. Among the alternatives to honey, there were no significant differences between the control and the other treatments. Differences were found only between the sizes of acini of workers that were fed with H2 and H4, whilst treatment H4 was superior. Among the alternatives to processed pollen, consumption of treatment P4 was significantly greater than treatment P3, indicating a greater acceptance of soybean extract compared to yeast. For the other parameters evaluated, treatment P5 was superior to all the others. We concluded that the best alternatives for the nutrition of M. flavolineata are the sugar inverted syrup with minerals, and semi-artificial processed pollen based on soybean extract (P5: 18% protein). These alternatives are arguably the safest diet supplements amongst those tested since they do not include hive products from other bees.
This volume provides a comprehensive overview of tropical flower diversity, thereby forming an indication of evolutionary trends. An introductory chapter provides an evolutionary context and introduces tropical flowers. Six chapters then deal with general structural and biological features of flowers and illustrate facets of their diversity: floral organization (structural units and floral symmetry, perianth, androecium, gynoecium, and floral phyllotaxis); floral construction/architecture; adaptation to different pollinators; differentiations associated with pollinator attraction (for example - nectaries, resin glands/flowers, optical displays, and tactile guides); differentiations associated with breeding systems (for example - sex expression, dichogamy, herkogamy, heterostyly, and agamospermy); and the process of anthesis. Chapter eight then outlines floral diversity and evolution of selected tropical systematic groups: Magnoliales (Magnoliidae); Laurales (Magnoliidae); Aristolochiales (Magnoliidae); Lecythidales (Dilleniidae); Violales (Dilleniidae); Fabales (Rosidae); Gentianales (Asteridae); Scrophulariales (Asteridae); Zingiberales (Zingiberidae); and Orchidales (Liliidae). Next, the salient aspects of flower evolution are reviewed. To conclude, the author underlines the need for research synthesis at all levels. -S.R.Harris
One of the most dramatic plant and animal relationships in the West African ecosystem is that which takes place between such frugivorus bats as Epomophorus gambianus and Eidolon helvum and the introduced neem tree, Azadirachta indica. While earlier studies on bat behavior were carried out by personal observation and ordinary photographic means, recently developed night vision equipment has allowed the author to make nocturnal observations previously not possible. New observations, using this equipment, have now been made on bats and their interaction with trees of the following species: Mangifera indica, Anacardium occidentale, Ficus umbellata, Psidium guajava, Carica papaya, Kigelia africana, Spathodea campanulata, Parkia clappertoniana, Ceiba pentandra, and Adansonia digitata. Observations are reported on the roosting characteristics of bats of the genus Epomophorus. The effect of feeding by bats on the fruits of various trees and the resulting dispersal of seeds on the coastal savannah-grassland, (Accra Plains) of Ghana, are discussed. The effect of introduced plants on the bat population and disadvantages to the West African ecosystem which are attributable to the plant and bat interactions are summarized.