Intraspecific proteomic profiling and potential biological activities of the honey bee hemolymph

Abstract

Pollinator declines have raised major concerns for the maintenance of biodiversity and food security, calling for a better understanding of environmental factors that affect their health. Here we used hemolymph analysis, a cheap, simple, yet powerful approach, to monitor the health state of Western honey bees Apis mellifera. We evaluated the intraspecific proteomic variations and the biological activities of hemolymph of bees collected from four Egyptian localities characterized by different food diversities and abundances. Lowest protein concentrations and the weakest bioactivities were recorded in hemolymph of bees artificially fed sucrose solution and no pollen. By contrast, highest protein concentrations and activities were recorded in bees that had the opportunity to feed on various natural resources. While future studies should expand comparisons to honey bee populations exposed to more different diets, our results strongly suggest hemolymph samples can be used as reliable indicators of bee nutrition and health.