Possible Synergistic Effects of Thymol and Nicotine Against Crithidia bombi Parasitism in Bumble Bees.

ABSTRACT: Floral nectar contains secondary compounds with antimicrobial properties that can affect not only plant-pollinator interactions, but also interactions between pollinators and their parasites. Although recent work has shown that consumption of plant secondary compounds can reduce pollinator parasite loads, little is known about the effects of dosage or compound combinations. We used the generalist pollinator Bombus impatiens and its obligate gut parasite Crithidia bombi to study the effects of nectar chemistry on host-parasite interactions. In two experiments we tested (1) whether the secondary compounds thymol and nicotine act synergistically to reduce parasitism, and (2) whether dietary thymol concentration affects parasite resistance. In both experiments, uninfected Bombus impatiens were

SUBMITTER: Biller OM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4686078 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature