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Simple Summary: Interest in beekeeping has significantly increased in recent years. A basic understanding of the nutritional and physiological requirements of honeybees is of great interest to improve their welfare and honey yields. The unique anatomic features of the gastrointestinal tract of bees, which enable bees to make optimal use of their food resources, are extensively described in this review. Nectar, pollen, and resins are raw materials for the synthesis of honey, beeswax, propolis, and royal jelly by the honeybee. All of these products are used for nutrition or as food supplements for animals. In the context of these products, the legal requirements for the use of apiculture by-products in animal nutrition are highlighted. Honeybees are some of the smallest farmed animals, and apiculture by-products, e.g., honey, beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, and pollen contribute to animal nutrition. For the effective production of these by-products, the optimal development and nutrient supply of the honeybee is required. Beginning with the development of the mouth and anal pores on the second day of embryonic development, the digestive tract differentiates into the mouth and fore-, mid-, and hindgut during the pupal stage. The various glands within the oral cavity are particularly important, secreting enzymes and substances that are crucial for digestion and hive nutrition, e.g., invertase and royal jelly. Honeybees rely on a specialized caste system, with worker bees collecting nectar, pollen, water, and resin for the nutrition of the entire hive. Macronutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, obtained primarily from pollen and nectar, are essential for the growth and development of larvae and the overall health of the colony. Inadequate nutrient intake can lead to detrimental effects on larval development, prompting cannibalism within the hive. Apiculture by-products possess unique nutritional and therapeutic properties, leading to a growing interest in the use of honey, beeswax, propolis, and pollen as a feed additive. In recent years, the use of apicultural by-products in animal nutrition has been primarily limited to in vivo studies, which have demonstrated various positive impacts on the performance of farm animals. Honey, beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, and pollen are listed feed stuffs according to Regulation (EC) No. 68/2013. However, for animal nutrition there is not any specific legal definition for these products and no legal requirements regarding their ingredients as given for honey or beeswax in European food law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horses that sweat during exercise lose considerable amounts of water and electrolytes, such as sodium (Na), potassium (K) and chloride (Cl). Significant sweat losses between 7–10L can occur even during moderate exercise in leisure horses (500–600kg body mass); significantly higher sweat losses can be observed in endurance riding or in Three-day eventing competitions. Numerous studies have shown that most leisure and sport horses cannot compensate their increased Na and Cl requirements via a salt lick, whereas the K supply can be covered by an adequate roughage intake, even under situations with a high K requirement. The oral supplementation of electrolytes, especially Na and Cl, is a useful strategy in order to replace electrolytes that are lost by sweating in leisure and in sport horses. Although there are numerous electrolyte supplements on the market, commercial products are usually not well formulated, so that salt supplementation (e.g., table salt without fluorine and iodine) is recommended in the nutritional management of hoses. Adding electrolytes into the diet, sufficient water must be always freely available in order (i) to compensate water losses through sweating; (ii) promoting electrolyte absorption in the gastrointestinal tract; and (iii) counteracting the risks of salt overdosing, as renal elimination is dependent on water supply. Horses should be adapted to the oral supplementation of electrolytes/salt e.g., in combination with palatable feed. The application of electrolytes via the drinking water is often not recommended, as the palatability of saline solutions in horses is low and can individually vary from horse to horse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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