The venoms of Apis dorsata, A. cerana, A. florea, and three different populations of A. mellifera were compared for lethal activity toward mice. All venoms exhibited identical activities, a finding consistent with recent evolutionary history within the genus. Young queen honeybees use their venoms only for stinging other queens and possess a venom only half as lethal to mice as worker venom, and by the time queens are 1-2 years of age their venom has become essentially inactive. Phospholipase A2 is the most lethal of the honeybee venom peptides, whereas melittin, which is only slightly less lethal, is the most abundant. Concurrent analyses of melittin, phospholipase, and the combination of the two at their natural 3:1 mixture in bee venom revealed that the lethal activity of the mixture was about the same as native honeybee venom. This value was less than that for either melittin or phospholipase alone and indicates that synergism of the two peptides is not occurring. The results are consistent with independent lethal activities for the venom components, and show that melittin is not only the dominant, but also the main lethal component in honeybee venom.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0041-0101(95)00011-a | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Influence of Bee Venom on Nociception and Inflammatory Cytokine Profiles in Experimental Hyperalgesia.
Toxins (Basel)
January 2025
Faculty of Sciences, University of Balamand, Al-Kourah, P.O. Box 100, Tripoli 1300, Lebanon.
Hyperalgesia is a condition marked by an abnormal increase in pain sensitivity, often occurring in response to tissue injury, inflammation, or prolonged exposure to certain medications. Inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, play a central role in this process, amplifying pain perception. Developing effective treatments that address the underlying mechanisms of hyperalgesia is an active field of research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmune thrombocytopenia possibly triggered by multiple tick bites.
Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo
January 2025
Hospital Militar Central, Servicio de Infectología, Bogotá, Colombia.
Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune hematological condition characterized by a markedly isolated decrease in platelets without any apparent associated clinical conditions, resulting in bleeding and bruising of the skin, mucous membranes, and major organs. It is often triggered by preceding illness or several immune stimulants such as immunizations, infections, allergic reactions, among others. While uncommon, arthropod bites can trigger acute ITP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvaluating the antibacterial efficacy of bee venom against multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria: Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Enterococcus faecalis.
World J Microbiol Biotechnol
January 2025
Microbiology, Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University, Tanta City, 31527, Egypt.
Bee venom (BV) represents a promising natural alternative to conventional antibiotics, particularly significant given its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and potential to address the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance. The prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms (AMR) is a global burden that affects human health and the economies of different countries. As a result, several scientific communities around the world are searching for safe alternatives to antibiotics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInnovative separation of melittin from bee venom using micro-free-flow electrophoresis: An experimental and theoretical study.
Anal Chim Acta
February 2025
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
Background: Bee venom consists of more than 50 % melittin (MLT), which has anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Bee venom also contains toxic components such as phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and hyaluronidase (HYA), which cause allergic reactions, so the toxic components must be removed to use MLT. In previous studies, analytical methods were used to separate MLT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPathogenic Bacterial Detection Using Vertical-Capacitance Sensor Array Immobilized with the Antimicrobial Peptide Melittin.
Sensors (Basel)
December 2024
Department of Physics, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
The rapid and reliable detection of pathogenic bacteria remains a significant challenge in clinical microbiology. Consequently, the demand for simple and rapid techniques, such as antimicrobial peptide (AMP)-based sensors, has recently increased as an alternative to traditional methods. Melittin, a broad-spectrum AMP, rapidly associates with the cell membranes of various gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!