Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The gut microbiota of social bees is vital for host health, yet pesticide exposure can disrupt these communities. Because most active ingredients are poorly soluble, toxicological tests often use cosolvents, but their effects remain unclear. We assessed four common cosolvents (DMSO, DMF, acetone, and Tween 80) at laboratory-relevant concentrations on honeybee survival, pollen consumption, body weight, and gut microbiota. In parallel, in vitro assays tested their impact on five dominant gut symbionts. The results showed no significant changes in survival, feeding, body weight, bacterial load, community composition, or core taxa abundance. Similarly, cosolvents did not inhibit bacterial growth in vitro. These findings demonstrate that commonly used cosolvents exert no detectable influence on honeybee physiology or gut microbiota. Although negative, this evidence is critical: it rules out cosolvents as hidden confounders, improving confidence in pesticide toxicology studies and providing essential reference data for pollinator risk assessment.
Source: Insects
Authors: Kang Wang, Jinmeng Ma, Ting Ji, Haibo Zhang, Ling Yin
Language: English
Subfield: Insect Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
Award: G2824613075
OpenAlex ID: W4415446019