The effect of Zataria multiflora extract on bee gastrointestinal microflora in vitro

Excessive use of antibiotics in animal and bee food for the purpose of treatment and prevention of diseases can lead to bacterial resistance to antibiotics and on the otherhand sediment in honey and other bee products. The use of medicinal plants in bee nutrition as an alternative to antibiotics and the production of healthy and organic products plays an important role. In order to evaluate the nutritional effects of different levels of alcoholic extract of Zataria multiflora (۵۰۰, ۱۰۰۰ and ۲۰۰۰ mg),antibiotics oxytetracycline (۱۰۰, ۲۰۰ and ۳۰۰ mg) and control (without additives) on biological traits and bacterial flora of bee gastrointestinal tract Honey, this experiment was performed in a completely randomized design with ۷ treatments and ۴ replications in a bee incubator.Mean comparison between experimental treatments showed that the highest half-life of bees (۵۰% mortality) belonged to the control group and equal to ۴۴ days, which was significantly different from other experimental levels (p <۰.۰۵). The highest mortality rate of bees at the age of ۲۰ days was related to oxytetracycline ۳۰۰ mg (۵۷.۵۴%) and alcoholic extract of Zataria multiflora ۱۰۰۰ mg (۵۷.۲۷%) and the lowest mortality rate was related to the control group (۲۳.۱۰%). There was no significant difference with other levels of Zataria multiflora and oxytetracycline. The lowest feed intake was related to control and oxytetracycline ۲۰۰ mg (۲۶.۹۷ and ۲۶.۱۳ g, respectively) and the highest feed intake was related to ۵۰۰ mg of alcoholic extract of Zataria multiflora (۵۳ g) which was significantly different from other levels. (۰۵/۰ p <). The lowest population of lactobacilli related to oxytetracycline is ۳۰۰ mg and The logarithm of the colony formation unit was ۲.۷۲ per gram. Also, the lowest population of coliform bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of bees inside the cage was related to oxytetracycline ۳۰۰ mg, which was significantly different from other experimental levels (p <۰.۰۵). With the exception of oxytetracycline ۳۰۰ mg, there was no significant difference in the ratio of lactobacilli to coliform bacteria at other experimental levels. In general, the results showed that the use of high concentrations of oxytetracycline will reduce Lactobacillus and coliform bacteria and usually there was no significant difference between different levels of Zataria multiflora and the control group.

Keywords:

Bee , Zataria multiflora , Alcoholic extract , Oxytetracycline , Intestinal microbial population