Apitoxin

Bee venom, medical Apitoxin, is the poison of the honey bee, a mixture of secretions. It is injected as insect bite with a poison sting the opponent. A honey bee can splash about 0.1 mg of venom. Bee venom is acidic (pH 4.5-5.5 ) and has a yellowish opalescent color. Using wire current traps is obtained the poison for medicinal purposes.

Effect on people

A bee sting causes local inflammation and a more or less severe swelling. The pain can be alleviated by cooling. A health hazard is only after many stitches; it should even be only several hundred stitches perilous. In contrast, even a single bite in the neck and throat may be life-threatening because it threatens suffocation due to swell up the airways. In such a case, the doctor should be sought immediately. ( Stitches in neck and throat are more likely caused by wasps, as they may be lured by food and accidentally consumed. )

A special hazard exists for people who suffer from insect venom allergy: For them, even a single stitch of untreated fatal. Allergists estimate the frequency of insect venom allergies to 1% of the population.

Components, effect

Bee venom is a complex mixture of proteins and small molecules.

A main component of about 50 percent is melittin, which is the major allergen of bee venom. Phospholipase A2 ( to about 12 percent included) is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of phospholipids, and cell membranes such attacks. Apamin (2 percent ), another part is known as a neurotoxin. Hyaluronidase (2 percent) dilates blood vessels, and its permeability and thus causes a spread of inflammation ( engl. spreading factor ).

Other proteins are the mast cell degranulating peptide (2 percent) and tertiapin two neuropeptides and Secamin that has no pathological effects. Act as allergens in addition to the melittin ( Api m 3) phospholipase ( Api m 1), hyaluronidase ( Api m 2) and other proteins present.

Small molecules in bee venom are histamine (0.1 to 1 percent), dopamine and norepinephrine. Alarm pheromones (4-8 %) signal to other bees that was attacked from their people and they should prepare for the defense.

Medical use

• Immunotherapy against an insect venom allergy
• As part of apitherapy part of a preparation for rheumatism, sciatica, lumbago, sports injuries and cold injuries
• A form of healing, that is, Stimulation for the local building muscle by subcutaneous injection (now mostly replaced by synthetic drugs )
• In homeopathy, the bee venom is under the name Apisinum use as an active ingredient in various medicines. The effect ascribed, especially against swelling and rashes, but not scientifically confirmed.

Use in cosmetics

Apitoxin is used prominently in recent times in the anti -aging industry as a natural alternative to Botox. Apitoxin supported with this application, the production of the main protein collagen VII, which promotes the support function of the skin and thus the creasing is to counteract.