Gut-associated Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) in Apis nigrocincta (Smith)

Honeybees are the world's most important pollinator of food crops. Besides, they also produce honey, which is very beneficial for human health. Therefore the health of honeybees is essential to note. One aspect that contributes to the health of honeybees is the balance of the gut microbiota. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are known to give importance to intestinal health in their hosts. This study aimed to study gut-associated LAB in Apis nigrocincta (Smith), a species of a cavity-nesting honeybee endemic to Sulawesi and Mindanao islands. The method used to obtain information about the presence of lactic acid bacteria was metagenomic profiling of the honeybee gut microbiome by targeting the V3V4 region of 16S rRNA genes using the Illumina MiSeq. In total, 83,018 reads of the microbiome comprising 749 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Some genera belong to lactic acid bacteria, among others are Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Fructobacillus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, and Vagococcus. These LAB may pose beneficial properties, which are essential not only for the honeybee itself, but also the food and health industries.