Marchi, Ignacio, National Scientific and Technical Research Council
Palottini, Florencia, National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Fundación Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7040-0486
Marchi, Ignacio Luis, Fundación Ciencias Exactas y Naturales
Farina, Walter Marcelo, Fundación Ciencias Exactas y Naturales
Published Mar 21, 2021 on Dryad.
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.q573n5thg
Cite this dataset
Farina, Walter et al. (2021). Combined secondary compounds naturally found in nectars enhance honeybee cognition and survival [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.q573n5thg
Abstract
The alkaloid caffeine and the amino acid arginine are present as secondary compounds in nectars of some flower species visited by pollinators. Each of these compounds affects honeybee appetitive behaviors by improving its foraging activity and learning. While caffeine potentiates responses of mushroom body neurons involved in honeybee learning processes, arginine acts as precursor of nitric oxide enhancing the protein synthesis involved in memory formation. Despite existing evidence on how these compounds affect honeybee cognitive abilities individually, the effect of their mixtures on this matter is still unknown. We evaluated acquisition and memory retention in classical olfactory conditioning procedure, in which reward (sucrose solution) contained traces of caffeine, arginine or mixtures of both. The results indicate that the presence of the single compounds and their most concentrated mixture increases bees’ learning performance. However, memory retention, measured at short- and long-term, increases significantly only in those treatments offering mixtures in the reward. Additionally, the most concentrated mixture triggers a significant survival rate in the conditioned bees. Thus, some nectar compounds, when combined, show synergistic effects on cognitive abilities and survival in an insect.
Funding
PICT 2016, Award: 2084
University of Buenos Aires, Award: (UBACYT 2018 20020170100078BA)
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Award: (PIP 112-201501-00633)
