Apitoxin or honey bee venom

Characteristics

Bee venom (Apitoxin) can be found under two major forms:

  • liquid, as it is immediately after extraction or when it is injected by the bee through her stinger;
  • dried, after collection with special devices (bee venom collectors).

Liquid, pure, bee venom

"Bee venom is a colourless, sharp-bitter tasting liquid with an aromatic odour that is similar to ripe bananas. It is slightly acidic (pH 5.0 to 5.5). Liquid bee venom on blue litmus paper changes the colour to red indicating an acidic reaction. However, the aqueous solution of whole dried bee venom does not show this effect, suggesting that volatile compounds create the acidic properties. Bee venom dries at an ambient temperature within about 20 minutes and loses 65% to 70% of its original weight. After the liquid has evaporated 0.1 mg. of pure whole dried venom can be collected (per bee sting)." (Michael Simics, "Bee Venom, Exploring the Healing Power", 1994, p.12).

Dried bee venom

"The pure whole dried venom has a yellowish brown colour. The specific weight is 1.313 g/cm3. The toxicity expressed as LD50 is 2.8 mg/kg (mice, i.v.). LD50 means that 50% of the mice will die when 2.8 mg. of venom per kilogram body weight is intravenously injected into them. Bee venom is cold resistant and freezing does not seem to reduce its toxicity. It is also heat resistant when dry, even at 100°C. Dried bee venom, if protected from moisture, can retain its toxic properties for several years." (Michael Simics, "Bee Venom, Exploring the Healing Power", 1994, p.12).

 

A.N. Melnichenko & O.V. Kapralova:

"Dried bee venom has a polycrystalline structure. Examinations under the microscope showed that bee venom, as drops of its watery solution dry, assumes characteristic physical structure, the components comprising it being of various forms and sizes. It is not difficult to quickly determine the classification of the venom (bee venom, wasp, hornet, Eve-viper venom) based on physical structure. No chemical combination with some substance or other occurs… Bee venom is not destructible." (Munich 1969, at the XXII-Nd. Apimondia Congress).

 

The dried whole bee venom should have the following organoleptical and physico-chemical properties:

colour: colourless or light grey
aspect: crystalline mass
consistency: dens
smell: irritant, characteristic (specific)
taste: sharp-astringent
purity: no impurities
solubility: soluble in water, insoluble in ammonium-sulphate and alcohol
pH: 4.5 - 5.5.

 

Methods for quality assessment:

  • the aspect and the colour are appreciated visually under natural light;
  • consistency: dried bee venom should have a powder-crystalline structure;
  • smell and taste are assessed organoleptically;
  • purity; bee venom dissolved in distilled water is a perfect solution leaving no deposit in the bottom of the receptacle;
  • pH may be tested with Merck paper;
  • solubility: it is soluble in water; insoluble in alcohol; it is precipitated by alkali and especially ammonia.

COMPOSITION

List of substances and their properties

Bee venom is a combination of many useful components.

Modern biochemical analytical procedures have been used to identify 18 different components. The major components of bee venom include the following:

PEPTIDES
melittin (family)
melittin F
apamin
mast-cell degranulation peptide 401 (MCD)
secarpin
tertiapin
adolapin
protease inhibitor
procamine A, B
minimine
cardiopep
ENZYMES
phospholipase A2
hyaluronidase
acid phosphomonoesterase
glucosidase
lysophospholipase
 

ACTIVE AMINES

histamine
dopamine
norepinephrine
leukotriens
NON-PEPTIDE COMPONENTS
 
carbohydrates like:
Glucose
Fructose
LIPIDS
6 phospholipids

AMINO-ACIDS

r-aminobutyric acid
B-aminoisobutyric acid

Dr. Kim M-H. Christopher, one of the world's best expert in bee venom therapy, has published in Bee Informed, Journal of the American Apitherapy Society (autumn issue, 1997), the following table related to the dried bee venom composition:

 

COMPONENT

MOL. Wt.

% (Dry Venom)

Reference

PEPTIDES

 

 

 

Melittin

2,840

40-50

Neumann et al., 1952

Apamin

2,036

2-3

Habermann et al., 1965

MCD-Peptide 401

2,588

2-3

Fredholm, 1966

Adolapin

11,500

1.0

Shkenderov, 1982

Protease inhibitor

9,000

< 0.8

Shkenderov, 1973

Secarpin

 

0.5

Gauldie et al, 1976

Tertiapin

 

0.1

Gauldie et al, 1976

Melittin F

 

0.01

Gauldie et al, 1976

Procamine A, B

 

1.4

Nelson and O’Connor, 1968

Minimine

6,000

2-3

Lowy et al, 1971

Cardiopep

 

< 0.7

Vick et al, 1974

 

 

 

 

ENZYMES

 

 

 

Hyaluronidase

38,000

1.5-2.0

Neumann & Habermann

Phospholipase A2

19,000

10-12

Habermann & Neumann, 1957

Glucosidase

170,000

0.6

Shkenderov et al, 1979

Acid Phosphomono-esterase

55,000

1.0

Shkenderov et al, 1979

Lysophospholipase

22,000

1.0

Ivanova et al, 1982

 

 

 

 

ACTIVE AMINES

 

 

 

Histamine

 

 

 

Dopamine

 

0.13-1.0

Owen, 171

Norepinephrine

 

0.1-0.7

Owen, 1982

 

 

 

 

NON-PEPTIDE COMPONENTS

 

 

 

Carbohydrates: Glucose & Fructose

 

< 2.0

O’Connor et al, 1967

 

 

 

 

LIPIDS

 

 

 

6 Phospholipids

 

4.5

O’Connor et al, 1967

 

 

 

 

AMINO-ACIDS

 

 

 

r-Aminobutyric acid

 

< 0.5

Nelson & O’Connor, 1968

B-Aminoisobutyric acid

 

< 0.01

Nelson & O’Connor, 1968

 

B.V. SUBSTANCES AND THEIR EFFECTS:

 

Phospholipase A (enzyme)
  • radioprotective activity;
  • mastocytolitic;
  • histamine release;
  • blood pressure depressants
  • antigenic properties;
    it is the major BV allergen ;
  • antagonistic effect on staphylococic alfa-toxin and tetanus toxin;
  • antitumoural effect
  • acts on biological membranes
 

Hyaluronidase

  • selectively attacks tissue hyaluronic acid polymers;
  • increase the capillary permeability (Neumann and Habermann);
  • immune response and tissue-spread properties;
  • antigenic;
  • anaphylactogene
 
Apamin (a polypeptide with 18 amino acids)
 
  • antigenic and;
  • anti-inflammatory properties
Melittin (a polypeptide also consisting of 26 amino acids which represents 40-60% of the bee venom)
 
  • antibacterial;
  • antifungal;
  • anti-lyme disease (in vitro experiment)
  • antitumoural;
  • central nervous system inhibitory;
  • block nerve muscle and ganglial synapses;
  • contraction of the striated and smooth muscles;
  • histamine releasing;
  • mastocytololysic;
  • radio protecting (against X-irradiation; study on mice, Shipman and Cole, 1967);
  • vascular permeability increasing;
  • haemolysis;
  • lowers blood pressure;
  • anti-inflammatory;
  • mellitin (which represents 40-60 % from the B.V. substances) has no antigenic properties (Orlov); otherwise, according to Artemov, the bee enemies would have gotten a specific immunity;
  • stimulate the pituitary - adrenal axis to release both cathecolamines and cortisol (Brooks et al.);
  • increase plasma cortisol levels
  • acts on biological membranes
Presently, it is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory agents known, and it can be useful in treating arthritis and rheumatism.
Mast Cell Degranulating peptide
In many animal studies, in comparison studies with hydrocortisone, this peptide was 100 times more potent as an anti-inflammatory agent in suppressing the development of adjuvant-induced arthritis. (Simics p 13) & quot.

Cardiopep

  • increase both the force of contraction (beta-adrenergic) and
    the heart rate with little or no effect on coronary circulation (Brooks et al.);
  • anti-arrhythmic properties (Brooks et al.);
  • stimulate the pituitary - adrenal axis to release both cathecolamines and cortisol (Brooks et al.)

Adolapin

  • analgesic (Shkenderov, 1982);
  • anti-inflammatory (Shkenderov, 1982)
Used in: 
Honeybee
Apitherapy
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