Traditional Medicinal Uses and in vitro Antibacterial Screening of Bee and Termite Products in Northern Benin: A Pilot Ethnoentomological Study
Aude Eminsédé Kelomey *
Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University of Abomey-Calavi, 05 P.O. Box 1604, Cotonou, Benin and Institute for Research and Development of Medicinal and Food Plants of Guinea (IRDPMAG), Dubréka, Guinea. N=
Hélène Legout
Laboratory of Evolution, Genomes and Speciation (EGCE), French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Gif-sur-Yvette 91190, France.
Boni Orou Marius Bio Bouko
Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University of Abomey-Calavi, 05 P.O. Box 1604, Cotonou, Benin. b Institute for Research and Development of Medicinal and Food Plants of Guinea (IRDPMAG), Dubréka, Guinea.
Lionel Garnery
Laboratory of Evolution, Genomes and Speciation (EGCE), French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Gif-sur-Yvette 91190, France.
Ibrahima Kalil Sylla
Institute for Research and Development of Medicinal and Food Plants of Guinea (IRDPMAG), Dubréka, Guinea.
Lamine Baba-Moussa
Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University of Abomey-Calavi, 05 P.O. Box 1604, Cotonou, Benin.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Bee and termite-derived products are widely used in traditional medicine for the management of various health conditions. However, scientific evidence on their medicinal applications and antibacterial properties remains limited in Benin, particularly in the northern regions. Documenting traditional knowledge alongside preliminary experimental evaluation is therefore important for assessing these locally used biological resources and establishing baseline evidence for further investigation.
Aims: To document the traditional uses of bee and termite products in traditional medicine in Northern Benin and to provide a preliminary assessment of their in vitro antibacterial activity.
Study Design: A pilot cross-sectional ethnoentomological survey combined with an in vitro microbiological screening.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Northern Benin across ten municipalities representing the Borgou-Alibori and Atacora-Donga agroecological zones in August 2024.
Methodology: Ten traditional health practitioners were recruited using non-probability snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in local languages using a pre-tested KoboCollect questionnaire. Honey bee products and termite-derived materials were collected from local beekeepers and wild sites. Hydroethanolic extracts were prepared and screened against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 13883, and Salmonella enterica ATCC 13076 using agar disk diffusion. Extracts were tested at 2.0 mg/disk; ampicillin and imipenem served as positive controls.
Results: Seven of the ten practitioners (70%) reported using insects to treat patients, and all respondents reported positive therapeutic outcomes from insect- or hive-derived preparations. Honey, propolis, bees, and termite-derived materials were associated mainly with respiratory, cutaneous, and digestive indications. None of the tested crude extracts produced measurable inhibition zones against the three bacterial strains; inhibition diameters were 6.0 ± 0.0 mm, corresponding to the disk diameter. Positive controls produced the expected inhibition zones.
Conclusion: The study documents the importance of bee- and termite-derived resources in traditional medicine in Northern Benin. The absence of detectable antibacterial activity under the tested conditions does not exclude biological activity, given the possible effects of geographical and botanical origin, extraction procedures, chemical composition, and target microorganisms. Further chemical, microbiological, and ethnobiological investigations are warranted.
Keywords: Ethnoentomology, traditional medicine, honey bee products, honey, propolis, termites, antibacterial activity