Use of costic acid, a natural extract fromDittrichia viscosa, for the control ofVarroa destructor, a parasite of the European honey bee
2017 ◽
Vol 13
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pp. 952-959
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Keyword(s):
Low Cost
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Costic acid has been isolated from the plantDittrichia viscosaand its efficacy againstVarroa destructor, a parasite ofApis mellifera, the European honey bee, has been studied. Costic acid exhibited potent in vivo acaricidal activity against the parasite. Initial experiments showed that the compound is not toxic for human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) at concentrations of up to 230 micromolar (μM), indicating that costic acid could be used as a safe, low-cost and efficient agent for controlling varroosis in honey bee colonies.