Biologically Active Components of Bee Venom

Isolation and Identification of Biologically Active Components from the Honey Bee Venom Apis Mellifera L. Caucasica

Medcrave

The venom of the European honey bee Apis mellifera is an intricate mixture of chemical compositions, including proteins, peptides, enzymes, and other small molecules. Lately, there has
been growing interest in the use of melittin, due to its wide range of biological and potential therapeutic applications. Melittin, which is considered to be an antimicrobial, antitumor, and antiinflammatory peptide, is the main component (≥50% (w/w)) of honey bee venom and is widely used in oriental medicine and studied as an alternative for treating drug-resistant infections. In parallel to antimicrobial peptides for therapeutic use in humans, melittin can be used to fight economically important plant pathogens that limit crop production globally. Phospholipase
A2 (PLA2) and hyaluronidase (HYA) are the two major enzymatic proteins present in the bee venom [6,7]. Both of these enzymes are classified as major allergens according to the International
Union of Immunological Societies, as they are capable of inducing
the IgE response in susceptible individuals.

The results of study confirm that a high purity and recovery yield of melittin can be obtained with a one-step purification method with strong cationexchange chromatography resins using
sodium phosphate buffer at pH 6...