Bee’s knees: Immune boosting omega 3 oil helps pollinators recover from pesticide poisoning

05 Jul 2023 --- Omega 3-rich ahiflower oil has demonstrated promising immune-boosting properties to reverse the damage caused to the mitochondria of honey bees from exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides, according to ongoing research conducted at the Université de Moncton in Canada.

Neonicotinoids are among the most harmful insecticides and are used extensively. Their effects persist in the environment and have been described as “practically impossible” to prevent honey bees from exposure.  

The new research, which forms part of an ongoing research project by Ph.D. student Hichem Menail, claims that boosting the immune system and metabolism of bees is a viable strategy to help pollinators overcome the chemical intoxication from these pesticides. Ahiflower oil counteracts the toxic side effects of pesticides caused to pollinators.

“There is no ‘finite’ nor ‘exact’ list of effects of imidacloprid on honey bees. It is unlimited and we are still discovering new effects. But basically, imidacloprid is a neurotoxin. It binds to the nervous system of honey bees (and other organisms) and paralyzes them, which will eventually be deadly,” Menail tells Nutrition Insight.

“At low doses, imidacloprid has many detrimental effects like hampering flight activity, and memory, disturbing the metabolism like the energetic metabolism which might indicate a shortage of ATP (energy) supply to sustain vital activities, which also may lead to death with time.”

Persistent pestilence
Imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid pesticide, is one of the world’s most commonly used insecticides. It was banned for outdoor use by the EU in 2018, along with two other significant neonicotinoids, but their use continues worldwide, including in the US.

“Pesticides are a major threat to insect populations and as insects are at the core of ecosystem richness and balance, any loss in insect biodiversity can lead to catastrophic outcomes,” notes Menail.

Pesticide-related pollinator declines are a huge concern for food crops globally. The research findings’ applications include using food supplements that could decrease honey bee mortalities caused by pesticides. 

“Pesticides are widely and extensively used. Even though they are not directly sprayed on honey bees or next to them, forager bees will forage on contaminated flowers that have been treated or contaminated through the soil or groundwater. The fact that foragers travel for up to 10 km to find food doesn’t help,” Menail explains.

“Although imidacloprid is banned in the EU, it is so persistent in the soil and the groundwater that it will be around for a long time.”

Bees are highly susceptible to viruses and toxins spread via environmental pollutants. 

In the UK, bees may be at risk of exposure to glyphosate via contaminated wildflower nectar, which could exacerbate the problem of food insecurity, according to researchers from Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University. 

In other research efforts to save pollinators, US-based researchers successfully treated honey bees with a novel immune system booster for deadly viruses causing losses of the critical pollinator on a global level. The population decline of honey bees is partly due to viruses. The scientists found that bees could fight many viruses when encouraging their cells to produce free radicals.

Life after exposure
The study’s results confirmed the initial hypothesis that exposure to imidacloprid impeded mitochondrial respiration. However, the researchers were surprised that there was an immediate improvement in respiration from the ahiflower oil. 

Three groups of bees were fed sucrose syrup that contained either the pesticide, the ahiflower oil or both combined to investigate the effects of an omega 3-rich oil on long-term exposure to a neonicotinoid pesticide. After 25 days of these diets, the mitochondrial respiration of the bees was again measured.

“By improving their respiration through ahiflower oil supplementation, we believe that mitochondria can increase their ATP production and thus improve the overall performance of honey bees, as well as their immune system,” says Menail.

“Theoretically, we believe that by improving mitochondrial function, the cellular components of the immune system will have more energy to help decrease the detrimental effects of imidacloprid.”

Meanwhile, in 2022, plant-based ingredients producer Fooditive began large-scale production trials of the world’s first 100% bee-free honey for this year. As well as providing all the benefits of traditional honey, this will address consumer concerns about animal welfare and sustainability.

Fooditive aims to create a scalable, provenanced supply by mass-producing bioidentical honey that eliminates the need to farm honey bees intensively. Using the same patented biotech process already used to develop Fooditive’s vegan casein, honey DNA is copied into a proprietary yeast strain. 

By Inga de Jong