Bee venom
Bee venom , medicinally apitoxin , is the venom of honey bees , a mixture of different secretions . It is injected into the enemy as an insect bite with a poisonous sting . A honey bee can inject about 0.1 mg of venom . Bee venom is acidic (pH 4.5–5.5) and has a yellowish opalescent color. With the help of wire current traps , the poison is also extracted for medical purposes.
Effect on people
A bee sting causes local inflammation and more or less severe swelling. The pain can be relieved by cooling. A health hazard only arises after many stings; even several hundred stitches are said to be life-threatening. On the other hand, a single prick in the throat and pharynx can be life-threatening because there is a risk of suffocation due to the swelling of the airways. In such a case, the doctor should be consulted immediately. (Stings in the throat and pharynx are more likely to be caused by wasps , as they can be attracted by food and accidentally eaten.)
People who suffer from an insect venom allergy are particularly at risk : even a single, untreated sting can have fatal consequences for them. Allergists estimate the frequency of insect venom allergies at 1 percent of the population.
Components and effect
Bee venom is a complex mixture of different proteins and small molecules.
The main component with around 50 percent is melittin , which is also the main allergen in bee venom. Phospholipase A 2 (about 12 percent contained) is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of phospholipids and thus attacks cell membranes . Another ingredient, apamin (2 percent), is known as a neurotoxin . Hyaluronidase (2 percent) expands the blood vessels and their permeability, thus causing the inflammation to spread ( spreading factor ).
Other proteins are the mast cell degranulating peptide (2 percent) and tertiapine , two neuropeptides, and secamin , which has no pathological effects. In addition to melittin (Api m 3), phospholipase (Api m 1), hyaluronidase (Api m 2) and other proteins act as allergens.
Small molecules in bee venom are histamine (0.1 to 1 percent), dopamine, and norepinephrine . Alarm pheromones (4 to 8 percent) signal to other bees that one of their colony has been attacked and that they should prepare for the defense.
Medical use
- Desensitization to an insect venom allergy
- As part of apitherapy, part of a preparation against rheumatism , sciatica, lumbago, sports injuries and cold damage
- A form of healing art , i.e. H. Stimulation for local muscle building through subcutaneous injection (now mainly replaced by synthetic agents)
- In homeopathy , bee venom is used as a component in various preparations under the name Apisinum . The ascribed effect, especially against swelling and rashes, has not been scientifically confirmed.
Use in cosmetics
Apitoxin has recently been used prominently in the anti-aging industry as an alternative to botox . In this application, apitoxin is supposed to support the production of the main protein collagen VII , which promotes the support function of the skin and thus counteracts the formation of wrinkles.
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Principles and methods of toxicology . CRC Press, Boca Raton 2008, ISBN 0-8493-3778-X , pp. 1027 .
- ↑ a b Habermann E: Bee and wasp venoms . In: Science . 177, No. 46, July 1972, pp. 314-22. PMID 4113805 .
- ↑ UniProt P01501 , UniProt P01500 , UniProt P06730 , UniProt Q08169 , UniProt P01499 , UniProt P56587 , UniProt P02852 .
- ↑ Illertissen Bee Museum .
- ↑ Albert von Fellenberg-Ziegler: Homeopathic Medicines Teaching , 25. verb. Edition, p. 73, Karl F. Haug Verlag, Hüthig GmbH, Heidelberg, 1998
- ↑ Apitoxin in cosmetics ( Memento from July 29, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
