Honey Bees and Probiotics: Indigenous Honey Bees Gut Microbial Communities and Their Potential Probiotic Attributes

Probiotic development and efficacy rely primarily on identifying and characterizing beneficial microorganisms, their mechanism of interaction, and optimizing their delivery. Gut microbiota of honey bees closely parallels that of the mammalian system, making them valuable models for studying gut microbial communities. Previous studies have identified symbiotic bacteria that reside in different regions of the bee gut (especially midgut and hindgut) and their isolation methods. This review examines the general composition of gut microbiome in indigenous honey bee species (Apis cerana, Apis florea, and Apis dorsata) and the role of various microbiome-microbiome and cross-feeding interactions that contribute to the overall stability of bacterial communities within the honey bee gut. Additionally, we discuss the impact of multiple stressors on the stability and abundance of gut microbial communities, resulting in altered gene expression that underlies immunity, metabolism, development, and behavior. Native bee gut bacterial strains are being continuously used as probiotics to treat microbial infections in honey bees. Previous research has established that supplementation of probiotics in feed reduces mortality in challenged honey bees and helps to restore the normal abundance of gut microbiota. These probiotic strains may also be useful in human healthcare, as some bee gut bacterial strains show similar probiotic attributes to those used in human probiotics. This review seeks to enhance understanding of the honey bee gut microbiome, and further research in probiotic functioning and application can contribute to sustainable apiculture practices and may potentially confer health benefits to honey bees and humans.