Sunday, July 12, 2009

Bee Venom Encapsulation Produces Prolonged Analgesic Effect

Prolonged Analgesic Effect of PLGA-Encapsulated Bee Venom on Formalin-Induced Pain in Rats
Int J Pharm, 2009 Jul 2

To enhance the medicinal activity of bee venom (BV) acupuncture, bee venom was loaded into biodegradable poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles (BV-PLGA-NPs) by a water-in-oil-in-water-emulsion/solvent-evaporation technique.

Rat formalin tests were performed after subcutaneous injection of BV-PLGA-NPs to the Zusanli acupuncture point (ST36) at 0.5, 1, 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48h before plantar injection of 2% formalin.

BV-PLGA-NPs treatment showed comparable analgesic activity to typical BV acupuncture during the late phase, compared with saline-treated controls, and the analgesic effect lasted for 12h. PLGA-encapsulation was also effective in alleviating the edema induced by allergens in bee venom.

These results indicate that PLGA encapsulation provided a more prolonged effect of BV acupuncture treatment, while maintaining a comparable therapeutic effect.

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