Active ingredient of the month February: Bee venom

For centuries, traditional medicine has used honeybee venom for its anti-inflammatory effects. Of central importance is the main ingredient melittin.

Melittin: A hundred times stronger than cortisone

The melittin from the venom of the honey bee has long been known for its strong effect in laboratory experiments. In case of inflammation, it has a hundred times stronger effect than cortisone. Furthermore, research is being conducted into the extent to which melittin is effective against microbes and cancer cells.

One fact makes it difficult to use: Melittin from the honey bee also damages healthy cells due to its strong effect. For this reason, other bee species with different variants of melittin – a peptide made up of 26 amino acids – are now also becoming the focus of research.

Natural active ingredient with versatile potential

Researchers suspect that the honey bee’s melittin has become highly toxic in the course of evolution. It is used in medicine and cosmetics.

Chronic pain and inflammation

Bee venom therapies offer hope for patients with chronic pain, inflammatory joint disease, and arthritis. It is precisely here that the applications show the great potential of bee venom as a natural alternative to previous treatment methods.

Skin aging, eczema and psoriasis

Bee venom is also a potential active ingredient in dermatology, for example in anti-aging products. Research is also being conducted into the extent to which it can also be useful in the treatment of skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis.

Breast cancer research

In addition, bee venom is a beacon of hope in the treatment of breast cancer. Studies have shown how effective and selective the poison is. Bee venom is able to reduce the genetics responsible for the division of cancer cells in just a few minutes. At the moment, research is still being carried out on how the poison can be transported precisely to the tumor cells.

You can also read our detailed article “Bee venom kills breast cancer cells”. 

All in all, these findings and developments could make bee venom a key element in the field of natural remedies.

We, Oskar Tropitzsch GmbH, offer bee venom for research purposes – from grams to kilograms. If necessary, please feel free to send us your inquiry.