Abstract Although poor nutrition is cited as one of the crucial factors in global pollinator decline, the requirements and role of several important nutrients (especially micronutrients) in honey bees are not well understood. Micronutrients, viz. phytosterols, play a physiologically vital role in insects as precursors of important molting hormones and building blocks of cellular membranes. There is a gap in comprehensive understanding of the impacts of dietary sterols on honey bee physiology. In the present study, we investigated the role of 24-methylenecholesterol—a key phytosterol—in honey bee nutritional physiology. Artificial diets with varying concentrations of 24-methylenecholesterol (0%, 0.1%. 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1% dry diet weight) were formulated and fed to honey bees in a laboratory cage experiment. Survival, diet consumption, head protein content, and abdominal lipid contents were significantly higher in dietary sterol-supplemented bees. Our findings provide additional insights regarding the role of this important sterol in honey bee nutritional physiology.The insights gleaned from this study could also advance the understanding of sterol metabolism and regulation in other bee species that are dependent on pollen for sterols, and assist in formulation of a more complete artificial diet for honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758) (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

中文翻译：

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评估关键微量营养素（24-亚甲基胆固醇）对蜜蜂生理的影响

摘要 尽管营养不良被认为是全球授粉媒介减少的关键因素之一，但蜜蜂中几种重要营养素（尤其是微量营养素）的需求和作用尚不清楚。微量营养素，即。植物甾醇作为重要的蜕皮激素的前体和细胞膜的组成部分，在昆虫中发挥着重要的生理作用。在全面了解膳食甾醇对蜜蜂生理的影响方面存在差距。在本研究中，我们调查了 24-亚甲基胆固醇（一种关键的植物甾醇）在蜜蜂营养生理学中的作用。在实验室笼子实验中配制含有不同浓度 24-亚甲基胆固醇（0%、0.1%、0.25%、0.5%、0.75% 和 1% 干饲料重量）的人工饲料并喂给蜜蜂。生存，饮食消耗，膳食补充甾醇的蜜蜂的头部蛋白质含量和腹部脂质含量显着较高。我们的研究结果提供了关于这种重要甾醇在蜜蜂营养生理学中的作用的更多见解。从这项研究中收集到的见解还可以促进对依赖花粉获取甾醇的其他蜜蜂物种的甾醇代谢和调节的理解，并有助于制定蜜蜂更完整的人工饲料（Apis mellifera Linnaeus，1758）（膜翅目：蜂科）。