Plant Extracts and Natural Products for the Control of Animal Pathogens in a ONE-Health Perspective

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Antibiotics in Animal Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2025 | Viewed by 795

Special Issue Editors


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Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Health Sciences, “Magna Graecia” University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: sentinel species; bio-indicators; inorganic and organic contaminats; environmental pollution; animals health status
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Guest Editor
Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: veterinary pharmacology and toxicology; essential oils; natural products; animal health and welfare; honeybee pathogens; hive products
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Guest Editor
Mediterranean Ethnobotanical Conservatory, 88054 Sersale, Italy
Interests: ethnobotany; green chemistry; phytochemistry; green extractions; herbal products; phytochemical analysis
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change, anthropization, intensive farming systems, pesticides, and environmental pollutants are major risk factors for animal health and human welfare. Furthermore, the reckless and inappropriate use of synthetic drugs, often administered without any diagnosis, has favored the growing spread of drug resistance phenomena. These factors, in addition to negatively impacting animal health, also have important impacts on the environment and human health. Therefore, from a One Health perspective, there is a need to identify more sustainable remedies for the control of animal pathogens. Numerous studies show that animal health and human welfare can be supported by natural products derived from plant organisms, such as essential oils, and animal products, such as hive products and colostrum. Many of these products contain active ingredients that can indirectly and directly counteract pathogens and disease effects in domestic and farm animals by promoting immunity or suppressing pathogens. This allows for their use both as therapeutic products, which can also be used in a complementary way to drugs, and as nutraceuticals. In addition, their use would have important benefits for food safety and quality in species such as ruminants, pigs, laying hens, broilers, fish, and honeybees, reducing drug resistance and the spread of residues in the environment.

The aim of this Special issue is to gather contributions in this area to identify new natural molecules of plant and animal origin that have antibacterial, antiviral, antiprotozoal, and antifungal properties to replace or reduce the use of antibiotics and drugs in domestic and livestock animals. The goal is to reduce the spread of drug resistance phenomena, improve animal health and human welfare, improve the quality and safety of food of animal origin, and reduce the negative impact of drugs on the environment and human health.

In this Special Issue, original research articles, literature reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and perspective studies are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Ernesto Palma
Dr. Roberto Bava
Dr. Carmine Lupia
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • natural products
  • essential oils
  • hive products
  • colostrum
  • pets
  • livestock
  • drug resistances
  • antimicrobial resistances
  • sustainable pathogen control
  • animal health and welfare

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 3161 KiB  
Article
Antibiotic Use in Beekeeping: Implications for Health and Environment from a One-Health Perspective
by Michela Mosca, Andrea Gyorffy, Marcella Milito, Camilla Di Ruggiero, Alessandra De Carolis, Marco Pietropaoli, Luigi Giannetti, Francesco Necci, Francesca Marini, Daniele Smedile, Manuela Iurescia, Alessia Franco, Antonio Battisti, Pasquale Rombolà, Marcella Guarducci and Giovanni Formato
Antibiotics 2025, 14(4), 359; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14040359 - 1 Apr 2025
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Abstract
Background: The use of antibiotics in beekeeping has potential implications for honeybee health and environmental contamination. Recent research indicates that extensive antibiotic use in beekeeping, especially oxytetracycline, promotes antimicrobial resistance in bee-related bacteria. Honeybees can transport oxytetracycline-resistance genes during foraging, potentially establishing reservoirs [...] Read more.
Background: The use of antibiotics in beekeeping has potential implications for honeybee health and environmental contamination. Recent research indicates that extensive antibiotic use in beekeeping, especially oxytetracycline, promotes antimicrobial resistance in bee-related bacteria. Honeybees can transport oxytetracycline-resistance genes during foraging, potentially establishing reservoirs of resistance in the colony and facilitating intergeneric gene transfer among various gut bacteria as well as in the microbiome of the flowers and the wider environment, where honeybees can spread antibiotic-resistance genes over a large distance. This study investigates the effects of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC) treatment on honeybees from a One Health perspective, examining antibiotic residues in honey, environmental spread, and the presence of tetracycline-resistance genes (TET-RGs). Methods: In the spring of 2022, two groups of four honeybee hives were placed near an almond grove in Central Italy. One group was treated with 1.68 g of OTC, while the other remained untreated. Samples were collected from bees, honey, hive entrances, and flowers before treatment and at 3 as well as 9 days post-treatment. OTC residues and TET-RGs were analyzed to assess contamination and resistance gene dissemination. Results: OTC residues were detected in honey from both treated (day 3: 263,250.0 ± 100,854.3 µg/kg; day 9: 132,600 ± 146,753.9 µg/kg) and untreated hives (day 3: 20.5 ± 8.2 µg/kg; day 9: 135.8 ± 198.6 µg/kg), suggesting cross-contamination. Residues were also found in almond tree flowers (0.7 ± 0.1 µg/kg), with TET-RGs (tet(K), tet(L), tet(M), tet(B), tet(O), tet(D)) detected pre- and post-treatment. In honeybee gut bacteria, resistance genes (tet(M), tet(A), tet(D), tet(B)) appeared post-treatment in both groups. No significant correlation was observed between hive distance and resistance gene presence in flowers, although the presence of other farms located within the bees’ flight range, in which OTC might have been used in the past, could have influenced the results. Conclusions: These findings highlight the risk of OTC-induced antibiotic cross-contamination and the spread of TET-RG, raising concerns for bee health and environmental safety. Given honeybees’ social nature and the negative effects of antibiotics on their health, an antibiotic-free management approach is recommended for sustainable apiculture. Full article
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