The pharmaceutical Impacts of honeybee venom against thioacetamide-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats

Hepatic cirrhosis is an acute disease accompanying fibrosis, liver cell damage, and liver dysfunction. The current study, the prospective therapeutic effects of honey bee venom (BV) on liver fibrosis were examined in rats administered thioacetamide. Hepatic histology, Masson’s trichrome, anti-oxidants (total glutathione and superoxide dismutase), apoptosis and biochemical hepatic functions assays were estimated. We found that BV treatment up-regulated the albumin protein, anti-oxidant enzymes (GSH and SOD) and down-regulated aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), bilirubin, collagen formation and apoptotic rate, which were altered by TAA inducer. Together, these responses increased liver cells sensitivity to TAA-induced hepatotoxicity and forced the damaged cells to undergo apoptosis. Enhancing the tendency of damaged liver cells to undergo apoptosis could be a protective mechanism whereby BV suppresses inflammatory responses and liver fibrosis. The study suggested that honeybee venom prevented TAA-induced liver fibrosis by inhibiting liver inflammation; decreased the high rate of lethality; alleviated hepatic histological injury; attenuated hepatic inflammatory responses; and inhibited hepatic cells apoptosis. These results suggest that honeybee venom could be an effective agent for preventing liver fibrosis. Keywords: Hepatic fibrosis, Honey bee venom, Thioactamide, Antioxidant

Antibacterial activities of bee venom, propolis, and royal jelly produced by three honey bee, Apis mellifera L., hybrids reared in the same environmental conditions

Abstract The potent antibacterial activities of three bee products; bee venom, propolis and royal jelly were investigated. These products were obtained from three honey bee hybrids; Carniolan, Apis mellifera carnica; Italian; A. the tested products exhibited antibacterial activity against tested microorganisms. Bee venom seemed to be the most active followed by propolis then royal jelly. The products of Caucasian hybrid, especially propolis, were relatively more effective than those of the other hybrids. Ethanolic extract of propolis was more effective than petroleum one. Gram (+) bacteria was more sensitive to these products than Gram (-) ones. The use of these, natural, cheap and safe bee products as alternative food preservatives and in some pharmaceutical application is promising, but more research should bee carried out to standardize their minute composition and quality

Evaluation of pollen collected by honey bee, Apis mellifera L. colonies at Fayoum Governorate, Egypt. Part 1: Botanical origin

The present work is the 1st part of 3-part study carried out at Fayoum Governorate, Egypt to evaluate the pollen species collected by honey bee, Apis mellifera L., colonies during two successive years, 2009 and 2010. Obtained results showed that, in 2009, total amount of trapped pollen (fresh weight) was 2354.89 g/colony/year (mean 588.72 g/colony/season), with peaks in summer and spring, while declined in autumn and winter. Correlation between mean maximum and minimum temperatures and weekly pollen weights was highly positive, while it was insignificant for relative humidity. In 2010, total amount of trapped pollen decreased to 1635.36 g/colony/year (mean 408.84 g/colony/season). The largest amounts were collected in summer followed by winter then spring, while least ones were in autumn. Correlation was highly positive between weekly mean of pollen weights and maximum temperature, while it was insignificant for minimum temperature or relative humidity. There were 24 plant species of 16 botanical families from which bees collected pollen. These sources were ranked according to their predominant quantities in the 1st and 2nd years by two numbers, respectively as the following: sesame 1 and 1, maize 2 and 2, clover 3 and 7, sunflower 4 and 8, wild mustard 5 and 3, casuarina 6 and 13, olive 7 and 11, eucalyptus 8 and 4, pumpkin 9 and 9, cocklebur 10 and 5, date palm 11 and 10, chamomile 12 and 12, field bindweed 13 and 6, pepper 14 and 20, coriander 15 and 16, acacia 16 and 24, citrus 17 and 0, marigold 18 and 0, common red 19 and 17, Christ’s thorn 20 and 22, tooth pick 21 and 21, brood bean 22 and 15, belladonna 23 and 23, pea 0 and 14, marjoram 0 and 18 and fennel 0 and 19. The 1st five plants seem to be the main pollen sources for honey bee colonies and consequently pollen producing during the whole year in the tested region. These sources represented 75.61% and 66.95% of the total annual yield in the two surveyed years, respectively