Bee Venom Has Radioprotective Effect Against DNA Damage

Radioprotective Effects of Honeybee Venom (Apis mellifera) Against 915-MHz Microwave Radiation–Induced DNA Damage in Wistar Rat Lymphocytes: In Vitro Study
International Journal of Toxicology, Vol. 28, No. 2, 88-98 (2009)

The aim of this study is to investigate the radioprotective effect of bee venom against DNA damage induced by 915-MHz microwave radiation (specific absorption rate of 0.6 W/kg) in Wistar rats.

Whole blood lymphocytes of Wistar rats are treated with 1 µg/mL bee venom 4 hours prior to and immediately before irradiation. Standard and formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg)–modified comet assays are used to assess basal and oxidative DNA damage produced by reactive oxygen species.

Bee venom shows a decrease in DNA damage compared with irradiated samples. Parameters of Fpg-modified comet assay are statistically different from controls, making this assay more sensitive and suggesting that oxidative stress is a possible mechanism of DNA damage induction.

Bee venom is demonstrated to have a radioprotective effect against basal and oxidative DNA damage. Furthermore, bee venom is not genotoxic and does not produce oxidative damage in the low concentrations used in this study.