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Although hair loss is not a horrible disease, it sometimes reduces the patients' quality of life (QOL) and increases their mental stress. Currently, there is no effective treatment for hair loss. It is known that honeybee propolis has various biological activities, including stimulating the proliferation of hair matrix keratinocytes. However, little is known with the hair promoting activity of stingless bee propolis. Hence, this study investigates the hair growth-promoting activity of Philippines stingless bee propolis extract and the underlying a molecular mechanism of promoting hair growth. For the evaluation of hair growth stimulating activity, 99.5% ethanolic extract of Philippines stingless bee propolis is examined using the simple shaving model in C57BL/6N mice. Melaninization of dorsal skin and histological analysis of hair follicles (HFs) revealed that propolis promotes hair growth by stimulating HFs development. The expression of mRNA (Wnt3a, Ctnnb1/β-catenin, Lef1, and Bmp2) and protein (WNT3A and β-catenin) of selected Wnt/β-catenin associated genes explains Philippines stingless bee propolis promoting HFs development by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. These results suggest that the treatment of propolis strongly promotes hair growth by stimulating the development of HFs via activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. This further indicates the potential of Philippines stingless bee propolis as a novel promising agricultural product for hair growth.

Apis mellifera pupae and their parasites Tropilaelaps and Varroa destructor were collected from honey bee hives in Palawan, Philippines for species identification of the Tropilaelaps and viral analyses. Genetic analysis identified Tropilaelaps mercedesae infesting A. mellifera on the island. Viral analyses showed that all pupae and their infesting Tropilaelaps or Varroa shared the same Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) variant infections with DWV-B being more prevalent than DWV-A. Pupae infested with either Varroa or Tropilaelaps had higher levels of both DWV variants than uninfested pupae. Vigilance is needed to prevent the spread of Tropilaelaps clareae into Palawan and T. mercedesae and DWV variants from Palawan to other provinces., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor is a major global threat to the Western honeybee Apis mellifera. This mite was originally a parasite of A. cerana in Asia but managed to spill over into colonies of A. mellifera which had been introduced to this continent for honey production. To date, only two almost clonal types of V. destructor from Korea and Japan have been detected in A. mellifera colonies. However, since both A. mellifera and A. cerana colonies are kept in close proximity throughout Asia, not only new spill overs but also spill backs of highly virulent types may be possible, with unpredictable consequences for both honeybee species. We studied the dispersal and hybridisation potential of Varroa from sympatric colonies of the two hosts in Northern Vietnam and the Philippines using mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA markers. We found a very distinct mtDNA haplotype equally invading both A. mellifera and A. cerana in the Philippines. In contrast, we observed a complete reproductive isolation of various Vietnamese Varroa populations in A. mellifera and A. cerana colonies even if kept in the same apiaries. In light of this variance in host specificity, the adaptation of the mite to its hosts seems to have generated much more genetic diversity than previously recognised and the Varroa species complex may include substantial cryptic speciation.