We compared fresh bee venom samples produced by Anatolian beekeepers with commercial bee venom samples based on physicochemical analyses results. Sugar content analysis was conducted using HPLC-RID, moisture content analysis was performed using a moisture analyzer and melittin, apamin and phospholipase A2 contents were analyzed via HPLC-UV. When we compared the commercial bee venom samples with the freshly collected Anatolian honey bee venom, it was determined that the apamin, melittin and phospholipase A2 contents were generally lower in the commercial bee venom samples. Additionally, there was a statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of the moisture and phospholipase A2 contents (p <0.5). When we evaluated the sugar profile analysis, other than in maltose and erlose no difference was found between the two groups. The results showed that the content quality of the fresh bee venom samples collected from Anatolian honey bees was higher than that of the commercially sold bee venom samples. This result clearly indicated that bee venom samples intended for use in apitherapy or for cosmetic purposes should be obtained fresh or kept under very good conditions.

When doing scientific research including animal experiments, it is crucial to prioritize ethical issues due to the many moral, legal, and scientific aspects involved. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the core ethical concepts and regulations that govern experimental investigations using animals. The 3R principle (replacement, reduction, refinement), which prioritizes the ethical treatment of animals especially in scientific research, is emphasized. Tracing the historical development of ethical rules sheds light on the important events that shaped the creation of important principles. The review examines the complex relationship between scientific investigation and ethical concerns, focusing on the idea of informed consent in relation to animal care. Also, this explores the ethical dilemmas that arise from experimental techniques and sheds light on how researchers ensure the well-being of the animals involved. The crucial importance of an ethical committee is emphasized in guaranteeing strict ethical standards. The examination of ethical concerns related to certain animal models, and analysis of differing perspectives among the scientific community is done. At the same time, it examines the latest developments in experimental animal research, providing insight into the future of ethical issues in this ever-evolving area. To summarize, this review not only synthesizes the main discoveries and ethical concerns in experimental animal studies but also highlights potential future paths. It supports the idea of continuing to balance scientific progress in the field of experimental animal studies with ethical obligations by suggesting additional areas of research and ethical review.

The purpose of this study is to examine the antimicrobial and antifungal activity of propolis samples of Yıgılca honey bee against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and yeast-like fungi. For this purpose the pollen and chemical components analyses of propolis sample was performed. The Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was used to identify the compounds of the propolis samples. According to the results of pollen analysis Fagaceae family were the dominant. As a result of LC-MS/MS method the main components of propolis was pinostrobin, gallic acid, and with Syringic acid. The antimicrobial activity of the propolis samples were tested against 7 Gram (+), 4 Gram (–) and 1 acid-resistant bacteria, and 3 yeast-like fungi. First, the activity of the propolis sample against these microorganisms was determined by the agar well diffusion method, then their zones were measured. The macrodilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for the antimicrobial activity tests. The results of MIC values were found between 74 and 4746 µL for the tested microorganisms. It was found that Mycobacterium smegmatis was the most susceptible bacteria (74 µL), Lactobacillus acidophilus (149 µL) Staphylococcus aureus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a MIC concentration of 299 µL. We are opinion that, considering the biological effects of the propolis extract of Yıgılca honey bee, may be potentially used as an alternative therapeutic treatment thanks to its high antimicrobial and antifungal activity on different microorganisms, but its high in vitro activity needs to be confirmed by further research in vivo.

Five honeybee subspecies exist naturally in Anatolia. Unfortunately, owing largely to migratory beekeeping and lack of control mechanisms against requeening, the native honey bee subspecies located in Anatolia are facing extinction. Beekeeping activities, especially migratory beekeeping jeopardizes the presence of the naturally evolved indigenous subspecies of Anatolia. The present study examined morphological deformation in three Apis mellifera (L.) subspecies (A. m. caucasica, A. m. carnica, A. m. syriaca) and two ecotypes of A. m. anatoliaca (Muğla and Yığılca) that have been kept all together in a long-term breeding program at the common apiary. Worker bee samples representing each honeybee subspecies and ecotype were collected from the common apiary, and also from their original locations. To demonstrate the potential hybridization effect on variations of the Anatolian native honeybee subspecies and ecotypes, the geometric morphometric method was applied on the samples of honeybees that had been kept together in the same apiary since 2008. The findings showed that the honeybee population of the common apiary and those from their native settings formed two different configurations on the scatter plots. Hybridization and promiscuous mating among the different honeybee races maintained in the common apiary may have led to the loss of a valuable combination of morphometric traits. Hence, there is an urgent need for an active monitoring system and a ban on queen trading and migratory practices as well as for periodic testing of registered apiaries to identify ongoing variations in the gene pool.

Honeybee venom (HBV) is an important product of beehives, and its benefits for health have been rediscovered by modern medicine. Since HBV has the potential to treat some diseases, its quality and production conditions require a detailed investigation. The objective of this study is to understand how season, harvesting time (day or night), harvesting site of beehives (inside or entrance) and geographic location affects quality through the analysis of apamin, melittin and phospholipase A ₂ (PLA2) content. Each set of six colonies were used to understand the differences in these components when HBV is harvested in the daytime either from the entrance or inside of the hives and nighttime from the inside of the hives. The experiment also investigated seasonal differences as the samples were harvested each month from May to August 2019 in our apiary. Furthermore, the effect of geographic location on quality was examined through the comparison of the data obtained from twenty-seven samples collected by beekeepers using the same device, located in the Turkish cities of Manisa, Muğla, Balıkesir, Düzce and Mersin. The results demonstrated that statistically significant differences in the amounts of analyzed components were not dependent on harvesting time, collection site on the beehives or season. On the other hand, region samples significantly differed in the amounts of all three components, ranging from 1.28% to 3.81% for apamin, 19.51–64.03% for melittin and 7.22%–28.18% for PLA2. However, beekeepers’ improper practices during harvesting and storing might be the most critical parameters that determine the quality of HBV.

Son yıllarda yaygın olarak yapılan göçer arıcılık ve ticari ana arı kullanımı nedeniyle Türkiye arı biyoçeşitliliğinde homojenizasyon oluştuğu düşünülmektedir. Bu nedenle bu çalışma kapsamında Türkiye bal arısı biyoçeşitliliğinin korunup korunamadığı araştırılmıştır. Bu amaçla Türkiye’nin 32 ayrı lokasyonundan işçi arı örnekleri toplandı ve sağ ön kanattaki 19 landmarka göre geometrik morfometrik yöntem kullanılarak çalışıldı. Araştırma bulgularına göre her ne kadar yerel ırkların korunduğu lokal alanlar var olsa da önceki çalışmalarda bildirilen biyoçeşitliliğin (Kuzeyde Apis mellifera caucasica , güneydoğuda A. m. meda, güneybatıya doğru A. m. syriaca , Trakya’da A. m. carnica , Anadolu’nun geri kalan tüm kesimlerinde ise A. m. anatoliaca ) günümüzde korunamadığı belirlenmiştir. Diskriminant fonksiyon analizi ve UPGMA dendogramı sonuçlarına göre Isparta, Ardahan, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş ve Zonguldak populasyonları birbirlerinden ve diğer tüm populasyonlardan ayrı kümelenmişlerdir. Diğer taraftan Kırklareli ve Iğdır ile İzmir, Van ve Hatay ile Hakkari, Antalya, Muğla, Bilecik, Balıkesir ve Çanakkale ile birlikte bir grup oluşturmuştur. Bu çalışmada meydana gelen gruplanmalar önceki literatür bildirişleriyle uyuşmamaktadır. Farklı bölgelerden farklı ırkları temsil eden örneklerin üst üste çakışması Türkiye arı biyoçeşitliliğinin ticari ana arı kullanım faaliyetlerinden önemli düzeyde etkilendiğini göstermektedir.