Isolation and characterization of Lactobacillus kunkeei from honey bee and honey bee products

ABSTRACT Honey bees play a crucial role not only in the production of human food and certain pharmaceutical products but also in sustaining life on Earth due to their significant contribution to pollination. However, various bee diseases and pests, such as Nosema and Varroa, pose serious threats to bee populations worldwide. It is known that Lactobacillus kunkeei (Apilactobacillus kunkeei), a bacterium found in various parts of honey bees' bodies, exhibits probiotic properties and shows antimicrobial effects against pathogens responsible for these diseases. This thesis aims to isolate and partially characterize L. kunkeei bacteria from honey bees and their products, such as honey and pollen. A total of 44 lactic acid bacterial isolations were carried out, including 42 from the stomachs of honey bees (Apis mellifera italica) collected from hives at the Research and Application Farm of Çukurova University Faculty of Agriculture, and 2 from pollen. Gram staining revealed that all isolates were Gram-positive. Microscopic examinations indicated that all isolates had a bacillus cell morphology. Furthermore, all isolates tested negative in the catalase test. Among the 5 isolates for which the 16S rRNA sequence was determined, 2 showed 100% similarity, 2 showed 99.92%, and 1 showed 99.79% similarity to L. kunkeei. The determination of probiotic and antimicrobial properties of the isolates obtained within the scope of the thesis could potentially serve as a source for the preparation of supplements supporting the bee immune system.