Indian Researchers Develop Cheap ‘Electro-Shock Venom Collector’

Cheap New Process to Extract Honey Bee Venom
Daily News & Analysis (India), 5/1/2006

(Editor's Note: Also see Apitronic Services Bee Venom Collector Devices.)

Lucknow: In a breakthrough in the field of biotechnology, a group of researchers at the Zoology department of the Allahabad University (AU) have succeeded in extracting the Indian honey bee venom and collect it in powder form.

Medicinal properties of the venom powder and a price tag of Rs 5,000 per gram in the market make the process an important development.

The technique has been developed by Sandeep Kumar Mehrotra and his team of researchers. The technique is simple and economical. “'Though it is too early to say anything about commercial aspect of the research but the multinational pharmaceutical companies might be interested in it as the venom has been known for its medicinal use,” Mehrotra said.

Bee venom has many medical applications. It has a stimulating effect on the heart muscles and controls the cholesterol levels in the body. It plays an important role in the treatment of Rheumatism. It has also got antibiotic properties.

Describing the newly developed instrument as the ‘electro-shock venom collector’, the Professor said that it was a non-complicated device built for just Rs100.

The principle behind the process is that when the Honey Bee is subjected to shock, it releases venom on the surface it is placed on. Venom dries rapidly and can be scrapped off.