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Dietary supplementation has been proposed as a sustainable way to improve the health and resilience of honey bees (Apis mellifera , L.), as the decline in their numbers in recent decades has raised scientific, environmental, and economic concerns. Spermidine, a natural polyamine, has been shown to be a promising substance for honey bee supplementation, as its health-promoting effects have been demonstrated in numerous studies and in different organisms. As already shown, supplementation with spermidine at a certain concentration prolonged lifespan, reduced oxidative stress, and increased antioxidative capacity in honey bees. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether spermidine supplementation affects gene expression and/or enzyme activity of antioxidative and detoxification enzymes and immune response markers in honey bee workers. The different gene expression and enzyme activity patterns observed in abdominal and head tissues in response to spermidine supplementation suggest tissue-specific and concentration-dependent effects. In addition, the immune response markers suggest that spermidine has the ability to boost honey bee immunity. The observed changes make a valuable contribution to understanding the molecular mechanisms by which spermidine may exert its beneficial effects on the bee's health and lifespan. These results support the idea of the use of spermidine supplementation to promote bee health and resilience to environmental stressors, emphasizing that the dose must be carefully chosen to achieve a balance between the pro- and antioxidant effects of spermidine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyamines (PAs), including putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd), and spermine (Spm), are essential polycations with wide-ranging roles in cellular functions. PA levels decline with age, making exogenous PA supplementation, particularly Spd, an intriguing prospect. Previous research in honey bees demonstrated that millimolar Spd added to their diet increased lifespan and reinforced oxidative resilience. The present study is aimed to assess the anti-aging effects of spermidine supplementation at concentrations of 0.1 and 1 mM in honey bees, focusing on autophagy and associated epigenetic changes. Results showed a more pronounced effect at the lower Spd concentration, primarily in the abdomen. Spd induced site-specific histone 3 hypoacetylation at sites K18 and 27, hyperacetylation at K9, with no change at K14 in the entire body. Additionally, autophagy-related genes (ATG3, 5, 9, 13) and genes associated with epigenetic changes (HDAC1, HDAC3, SIRT1, KAT2A, KAT6B, P300, DNMT1A, DNMT1B) were upregulated in the abdomens of honey bees. In conclusion, our findings highlight profound epigenetic changes and autophagy promotion due to spermidine supplementation, contributing to increased honey bee longevity. Further research is needed to fully understand the precise mechanisms and the interplay between epigenetic alterations and autophagy in honey bees, underscoring the significance of autophagy as a geroprotective mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ageing is a complex process common to all living organisms, influenced by different environmental and genetic factors which are difficult to understand. Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, histone posttranslational modification and non-coding RNA affect ageing. Eusocial insects provide an ideal platform for analysing the impact of epigenetic changes on ageing due to their phenotypic plasticity. This study summarizes most of the data published so far on epigenetic changes during ageing in eusocial insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]