The effect of dicyclohexylamine and fumagillin on Nosema ceranae-infected honey bee (Apis mellifera) mortality in cage trial assays

• Published in: Apidologie Vol. 47; no. 5; pp. 663 - 670
• Main Authors: van den Heever, Johan P., Thompson, Thomas S., Otto, Simon J. G., Curtis, Jonathan M., Ibrahim, Abdullah, Pernal, Stephen F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Springer Paris 01.09.2016; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Apiculture; Apis mellifera; Bees; Biomedical and Life Sciences; cages; Entomology; Food safety; Genotoxicity; Honey; honey bees; Life Sciences; Mortality; Nosema; Nosema ceranae; oral exposure; Original Article; risk; Statistical analysis; temperature; Temperature effects; toxicity; DCH; Fumagilin-B; fumagillin; honey; dicyclohexylamine
• ISSN: 0044-8435; 1297-9678
• DOI: 10.1007/s13592-015-0411-9

Both commercially available fumagillin-based treatments for honey bees ( Apis mellifera ), Fumagilin-B ® as well as Fumidil-B ® , contain the reportedly genotoxic and tumorigenic compound dicyclohexylamine (DCH) as the counter ion in the fumagillin-DCH salt. The effect of DCH, purified fumagillin (containing no DCH), and the commercial formulation Fumagilin-B ® (containing both fumagillin as well as DCH) on the mortality of caged Nosema ceranae -infected honey bees was investigated. A statistically significant risk of bee mortality associated with oral exposure to DCH was observed. DCH is also known to be significantly more stable than fumagillin in honey under a variety of temperature conditions, both in the presence and absence of light. The presence of DCH in the hive is therefore a potential concern for bee health and also for food safety.