Apitoxin Explained

Apitoxin or bee venom is the venom produced by the honey bee. It is a cytotoxic and hemotoxic bitter colorless liquid containing proteins, which may produce local inflammation. It may have similarities to sea nettle toxin.^[1]

Components

Bee venom is a complex mixture of proteins and smaller molecules.

The main component is melittin, which amounts to 52% of venom peptides^[2] One of the main allergens is phospholipase A₂, which amounts to 12% and is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of phospholipids, causing degradation of cell membranes.^[3] Adolapin^[4] contributes 2–5% of the peptides.^{[5] [6]} Further protein components include apamin (2%), a neurotoxin, hyaluronidase (2%), which dilates blood vessels, increasing their permeability and facilitating the spread of the venom, mast cell degranulating peptide (2%), tertiapin, and secapin.^[7] Small molecules in bee venom include histamine (0.1–1%), dopamine and noradrenaline.^[8]

Research

Mark Crislip, a practicing infectious disease specialist, examined the claims that bee venom can treat arthritis. He was unable to "find a clean, i.e., a non-TCPM based, randomized, placebo-controlled study of bee venom in humans for the treatment [of] arthritis."^[9]

Bee venom is also considered ineffective for the treatment or prevention of cancer, with no clinical studies to date supporting such effects.^[10] According to the American Cancer Society, there is no scientific evidence that apitherapy or bee venom therapy can treat or change the course of cancer or any other disease.^[11] Clinical trials have shown that apitherapy is ineffective in treating multiple sclerosis or any other disease, and can exacerbate multiple sclerosis symptoms.^[12]

See also

• Apitherapy
• Bee sting
• Beekeeping
• Hive management
• Honeybee

Notes and References

1. Czarnetzki BM, Thiele T, Rosenbach T . Evidence for leukotrienes in animal venoms . The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology . 85 . 2 . 505–509 . February 1990 . 1968071 . 10.1016/0091-6749(90)90162-W . free .
2. Book: Meier J, White J . Clinical toxicology of animal venoms and poisons . registration . 1995 . CRC Press, Inc . 0-8493-4489-1.
3. Burzyńska M, Piasecka-Kwiatkowska D . A Review of Honeybee Venom Allergens and Allergenicity . International Journal of Molecular Sciences . 22 . 16 . 8371 . August 2021 . 34445077 . 8395074 . 10.3390/ijms22168371 . free .
4. Aufschnaiter A, Kohler V, Khalifa S, Abd El-Wahed A, Du M, El-Seedi H, Büttner S . Apitoxin and Its Components against Cancer, Neurodegeneration and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Limitations and Possibilities . Toxins . 12 . 2 . 66 . January 2020 . 31973181 . 7076873 . 10.3390/toxins12020066 . free .
5. Web site: Adolapin. Comparative Toxicogenomics Database, MDI Biological Laboratory and North Carolina State University. 24 August 2017. 24 September 2017.
6. Benton AW, Morse RA, Stewart JD . Venom Collection from Honey Bees . Science . 142 . 3589 . 228–230 . October 1963 . 17834840 . 10.1126/science.142.3589.228 . 26489746 . 1963Sci...142..228B .
7. [UniProt]
8. Habermann E . Bee and wasp venoms . Science . 177 . 4046 . 314–322 . July 1972 . 4113805 . 10.1126/science.177.4046.314 . 1972Sci...177..314H .
9. Web site: Crislip . Mark . Mark Crislip. The Beekeeper: Sentinel Chicken? . Science-Based Medicine . 8 August 2023.
10. Book: . American Cancer Society Complete Guide to Complementary and Alternative Cancer Therapies . 704–708 . Apitherapy . 2nd . 2009 . 9780944235713 . Russell J . Rovere A . practitioners claim ... bee venom can be used to treat various diseases, including several types of arthritis; neurological problems such as multiple sclerosis, lower back pain and migraine headaches; and skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and herpes..
11. Book: American Cancer Society's Guide to complementary and alternative cancer methods . registration . American Cancer Society . Atlanta, Georgia . 2000 . 978-0-944235-29-4 .
12. Web site: Bee Venom Therapy – Grassroots Medicine. Science-Based Medicine. 26 November 2008. 28 September 2016.