EVALUATION OF HONEY BEE VENOM AND MELITTIN AS ANTI-CANCER AGENTS
Mostafa I. Hassan1*, Ali Fahmi2 and Islam F. Saad1
Department of Zoology1, Faculty of Science (boys), Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt G.M of Applied Research Division2, Egyptian Company for Production of Vaccines, Sera, & Drugs (EGYVAC-VACSERA) Cairo, Egypt
The present study aimed at studying the anticancer activity of honeybee, Apismellifera venom and melittin on Liver Hepatocellular carcinoma (HEp G2).Through evaluation of the effect of the venom and melittin on the morphology and viability percentage % of treated cell lines. Accordingly the toxicity % could be determined by using MTT dye staining assay.Finally evaluation of bee venom andmelittin regulatory effect on P53, BCL2 and Bax gene expression rate usingpolymerase chain reaction. The cytotoxicity of the bee venom revealed that, the concentration of bee venom as 150μg / mL induced a decrease of cell viability in the order of 13% post treatment, while 0.8μg / mL of BV showed 100% cell viability.Melttine, the 250μg / mL induced cell viability in the order of 18 % post treatment, while 0.4μg / mL showed 100 % viability.
June 2016