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Evaluating the Toxicity Effect of Euphorbia Contifolia on Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) at Field Condition

Received: 18 August 2017     Accepted: 30 August 2017     Published: 26 September 2017
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Abstract

The recent decline of honey bee population raises speculations from different angles. Exposure to poisoning substances is proposed as prime factor for honeybee deaths and colony reduction. Euphorbia contifolia, commonly known as “key abeba” is suspected as poisonousplant to honeybees and other animals in different regions of Ethiopia. An attempt was made to test the phytotoxic effect of this plant on honeybees in Illubabora and Jimma zones of Oromia region. Questioner survey and controlled experiment were used to assess the effect of E.contifolia on honeybees during its flowering season. Data on numberof dead adult bees and bee broods were counted at every 3hr, 4hr, 5hr, 6hr and 12hr of the day for five consecutive days. The survey result indicates that anaverage of 52% of the respondents of the two zones suspected that E. contifolia causes death and narcosis of foraging bees. In contrast, the mean mortality rate of adult and brood bees between the treatment and control group did not significantly differ (P >0.05), and no any narcosis symptom observed during the experimental test. This demonstratesthe absence of distinct toxic effect of the plant on honeybees. However, further study on the plant’s nectar and pollen active compound is recommended to reach into full understanding.

Published in International Journal of Ecotoxicology and Ecobiology (Volume 2, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijee.20170204.12
Page(s) 145-149
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Honeybees, E. Contifolia, Toxicity, Nectar, Pollen, Narcosis

References
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[2] Abo KA. Characterisation of ingenol: an inflammatory diterpene from some Nigerian Euphorbia and Elaeophorbia species. Afr J Med Med Sci 1994; 23(2):161-163.
[3] Adler, L. S. and R. E. Irwin (2005). "Ecological costs and benefits of defenses in nectar." Ecology 86(11): 2968-2978.
[4] Adler, L. S. (2000). "The ecological significance of toxic nectar." Oikos 91(3): 409-420.
[5] Aizen, M. A. and L. D. Harder (2009). "The global stock of domesticated honey bees is growing slower than agricultural demand for pollination." Curr Biol 19(11): 915-918.
[6] Barla A, Öztürk M, Kültür S, Öksüz S (2007). Screening of antioxidant activity of three Euphorbia species from Turkey. Fitoterapia 78(6):423-425.
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[8] Crane, E. (1978). "Dead bees under lime trees. Sugars poisonous to bees." Bee world 58.
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[10] Detzel, A. and M. Wink (1993). "Attraction, deterrence or intoxication of bees (Apis mellifera) by plant allelochemicals." Chemoecology 4(1): 8-18.
[11] Henry, M., M. Beguin, et al. (2012). "A common pesticide decreases foraging success and survival in honey bees." Science 336(6079): 348-350.
[12] Isaac K., Javad Y. and Ali G. (2010). “Ocular Toxicity caused by Euphorbia sap”. Iranian J. of pharmacology and therapeutics. 9: 37-39.
[13] Jassbi, A. R. (2006). "Chemistry and biological activity of secondary metabolites in< i> Euphorbia from Iran." Phytochemistry 67(18): 1977-1984.
[14] Johnson, R. (2011). Honey bee colony collapse disorder, DIANE Publishing.
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[16] Majak, W., R. Neufeld, et al. (1980). "Toxicity of Astragalus miser v. serotinus to the honeybee." Journal of Apicultural Research 19(3): 196-199.
[17] Mussen, E. C. 1979. Buckeye poisoning. U.C. Apiaries: Univ. of California CooperativeExtension: 1–4.
[18] Nuru A. (1996). Poisonous honey source plant (Justicia shimperiana) in AgewMider area inNorthwest part of Ethiopia (case study report). Holetta Bee Research Centre, Holetta, Ethiopia.
[19] Nuru, A. and H. Hepburn (2001). "Pollen grains of some poisonous bee plants of Ethiopia." Proc. 37th Int. Apic. Congr 28.
[20] Potts, S. G., J. C. Biesmeijer, et al. (2010). "Global pollinator declines: trends, impacts and drivers." Trends in ecology & evolution 25(6): 345-353.
[21] Potts, S. G., S. P. Roberts, et al. (2009). "Declines of managed honey bees and beekeepers in Europe." Journal of Apicultural Research 49(1): 15-22.
[22] Rojas, J., J. Velasco, et al. (2008). "Evaluation of antibacterial activity on different solvent extracts of Euphorbia caracasana Boiss and Euphorbia Contifolia L.(Euphorbiaceae) collected in Venezuela." Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas 7(4): 198-201.
[23] Upadhyay, R., F. Bakhtavar, et al. (1980). "Screening of Euphorbia from Azarbaijan for skin irritant activity and for diterpenes." Planta Medica 38(02): 151-154.
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  • APA Style

    Alemayehu Gela, Taye Negara. (2017). Evaluating the Toxicity Effect of Euphorbia Contifolia on Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) at Field Condition. International Journal of Ecotoxicology and Ecobiology, 2(4), 145-149. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijee.20170204.12

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    ACS Style

    Alemayehu Gela; Taye Negara. Evaluating the Toxicity Effect of Euphorbia Contifolia on Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) at Field Condition. Int. J. Ecotoxicol. Ecobiol. 2017, 2(4), 145-149. doi: 10.11648/j.ijee.20170204.12

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    AMA Style

    Alemayehu Gela, Taye Negara. Evaluating the Toxicity Effect of Euphorbia Contifolia on Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) at Field Condition. Int J Ecotoxicol Ecobiol. 2017;2(4):145-149. doi: 10.11648/j.ijee.20170204.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijee.20170204.12,
      author = {Alemayehu Gela and Taye Negara},
      title = {Evaluating the Toxicity Effect of Euphorbia Contifolia on Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) at Field Condition},
      journal = {International Journal of Ecotoxicology and Ecobiology},
      volume = {2},
      number = {4},
      pages = {145-149},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijee.20170204.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijee.20170204.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijee.20170204.12},
      abstract = {The recent decline of honey bee population raises speculations from different angles. Exposure to poisoning substances is proposed as prime factor for honeybee deaths and colony reduction. Euphorbia contifolia, commonly known as “key abeba” is suspected as poisonousplant to honeybees and other animals in different regions of Ethiopia. An attempt was made to test the phytotoxic effect of this plant on honeybees in Illubabora and Jimma zones of Oromia region. Questioner survey and controlled experiment were used to assess the effect of E.contifolia on honeybees during its flowering season. Data on numberof dead adult bees and bee broods were counted at every 3hr, 4hr, 5hr, 6hr and 12hr of the day for five consecutive days. The survey result indicates that anaverage of 52% of the respondents of the two zones suspected that E. contifolia causes death and narcosis of foraging bees. In contrast, the mean mortality rate of adult and brood bees between the treatment and control group did not significantly differ (P >0.05), and no any narcosis symptom observed during the experimental test. This demonstratesthe absence of distinct toxic effect of the plant on honeybees. However, further study on the plant’s nectar and pollen active compound is recommended to reach into full understanding.},
     year = {2017}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Evaluating the Toxicity Effect of Euphorbia Contifolia on Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) at Field Condition
    AU  - Alemayehu Gela
    AU  - Taye Negara
    Y1  - 2017/09/26
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijee.20170204.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijee.20170204.12
    T2  - International Journal of Ecotoxicology and Ecobiology
    JF  - International Journal of Ecotoxicology and Ecobiology
    JO  - International Journal of Ecotoxicology and Ecobiology
    SP  - 145
    EP  - 149
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-1735
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijee.20170204.12
    AB  - The recent decline of honey bee population raises speculations from different angles. Exposure to poisoning substances is proposed as prime factor for honeybee deaths and colony reduction. Euphorbia contifolia, commonly known as “key abeba” is suspected as poisonousplant to honeybees and other animals in different regions of Ethiopia. An attempt was made to test the phytotoxic effect of this plant on honeybees in Illubabora and Jimma zones of Oromia region. Questioner survey and controlled experiment were used to assess the effect of E.contifolia on honeybees during its flowering season. Data on numberof dead adult bees and bee broods were counted at every 3hr, 4hr, 5hr, 6hr and 12hr of the day for five consecutive days. The survey result indicates that anaverage of 52% of the respondents of the two zones suspected that E. contifolia causes death and narcosis of foraging bees. In contrast, the mean mortality rate of adult and brood bees between the treatment and control group did not significantly differ (P >0.05), and no any narcosis symptom observed during the experimental test. This demonstratesthe absence of distinct toxic effect of the plant on honeybees. However, further study on the plant’s nectar and pollen active compound is recommended to reach into full understanding.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Oromia Agriculturalral Research Institute, Holeta Bee Research Center, Holeta, Ethiopia

  • Oromia Agriculturalral Research Institute, Holeta Bee Research Center, Holeta, Ethiopia

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