Suppression of growth rate of colony-associated fungi by high fructose corn syrup feeding supplement, formic acid, and oxalic acid

摘要

Select colony-associated fungi (bee isolates), Absidia sp., Ascosphaera apis, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium sp., Penicillium glabrum, Mucor sp., showed a 40% reduction in radial growth rate with formic acid, a 28% reduction with oxalic acid, and a 15% reduction with fructose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) when grown on supplemented media at 30 degrees C to mimic colony conditions. No effect, suppressing or promoting growth, was observed on other colony-associated fungi, Alternaria sp., Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Rhizopus sp. and Trichoderma sp., except 0.1 M formic and oxalic acid. Sensitivity to these compounds did not correlate with the fungus species being a slow- or fast-grower and sensitivity to one compound did not translate to sensitivity to another compound. Given the competitive nature and high-sporing (conidia) activity of these species, our results suggest that alteration or disruption of the colony mycoflora can occur by use of these compounds. This may indicate a possible link between compound application and incidence of bee fungal pathogens.