Apitherapy is an alternate therapy that relies on the usage of honeybee products, most importantly bee venom for the treatment of many human diseases. The venom can be introduced into the human body by manual injection or by direct bee stings. Bee venom contains several active molecules such as peptides and enzymes that have advantageous potential in treating inflammation and central nervous system diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Moreover, bee venom has shown promising benefits against different types of cancer as well as anti-viral activity, even against the challenging human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Many studies described biological activities of bee venom components and launched preclinical trials to improve the potential use of apitoxin and its constituents as the next generation of drugs. The aim of this review is to summarize the main compounds of bee venom, their primary biological properties, mechanisms of action, and their therapeutic values in alternative therapy strategies.

Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are considered to be one of the most important ion channels given their remarkable physiological role. VGSCs constitute a family of large transmembrane proteins that allow transmission, generation, and propagation of action potentials. This occurs by conducting Na+ ions through the membrane, supporting cell excitability and communication signals in various systems. As a result, a wide range of coordination and physiological functions, from locomotion to cognition, can be accomplished. Drugs that target and alter the molecular mechanism of VGSCs’ function have highly contributed to the discovery and perception of the function and the structure of this channel. Among those drugs are various marine toxins produced by harmful microorganisms or venomous animals. These toxins have played a key role in understanding the mode of action of VGSCs and in mapping their various allosteric binding sites. Furthermore, marine toxins appear to be an emerging source of therapeutic tools that can relieve pain or treat VGSC-related human channelopathies. Several studies documented the effect of marine toxins on VGSCs as well as their pharmaceutical applications, but none of them underlined the principal marine toxins and their effect on VGSCs. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the neurotoxins produced by marine animals such as pufferfish, shellfish, sea anemone, and cone snail that are active on VGSCs and discuss their pharmaceutical values.

Honeybees are one of the most marvelous and economically beneficial insects. As pollinators, they play a vital role in every aspect of the ecosystem. Beehive products have been used for thousands of years in many cultures for the treatment of various diseases. Their healing properties have been documented in many religious texts like the Noble Quran and the Holy Bible. Honey, bee venom, propolis, pollen and royal jelly all demonstrated a richness in their bioactive compounds which make them effective against a variety of bacterial strains. Furthermore, many studies showed that honey and bee venom work as powerful antibacterial agents against a wide range of bacteria including life-threatening bacteria. Several reports documented the biological activities of honeybee products but none of them emphasized on the antibacterial activity of all beehive products. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the antibacterial activity of honey, bee venom, propolis, pollen and royal jelly, that are produced by honeybees.

Bee venom (BV) is one of the most remarkable natural products that has been a subject of studies since ancient times. Recent studies have shown that Apis mellifera syriaca venom possesses antibacterial as well as cytotoxic effects on cancer cell lines. The venom contains a variety of bioactive molecules—mainly melittin (MEL) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2), as well as other compounds that are not well characterized. In this work, we continue the biological characterization of A. mellifera syriaca venom by testing its anticoagulant effect on human plasma using the prothrombin time (PT) test, as well as assessing its proteolytic activity. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the crude venom—and of its two main components, MEL and PLA2—was tested on HeLa cancer cell lines for the first time. The results obtained showed the capacity of A. mellifera syriaca venom to increase clotting time, thereby proving its anticoagulant effect. Moreover, the venom did not demonstrate a significant proteolytic activity unless administrated at concentrations ≥ 5 mg/mL. Finally, we showed that crude A. mellifera syriaca venom, along with MEL, exhibit a strong in vitro cytotoxic effect on HeLa cancer cell lines, even at low concentrations. In summary, our findings could serve as a basis for the development of new natural-based drug candidates in the therapeutic field.

multivariate analysis gender (male), PanNENs indication, blood transfusion and "soft" pancreas were independent predictors of PF after PD. Conclusion: In this large series, the presence of a "soft" pancreas is the major determinant of the risk of postoperative morbidity among these patients. The association between PanNEN diagnosis and a "soft" pancreatic texture justifies the high risk of clinically relevant PF among these patients.

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step. Medium FLR increasing was 20%. At the second step median operating time was 180 min, median blood loss was 50 cc, none of the patients required intra-operative blood. We had no mortality at 90 day post operative. Conclusion: ALPPS for HCC with PVTT is a safety procedure with good results.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth cause of death from cancer; radical surgical approach is still the only hope for cure. Since most patients present with advanced stage, only 10% to 20% of them are resectable. We are presenting our experience of 300 pancreaticoduodenectomy form 1994-2015 Methods: From 1994 to 2015,370 patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. Of these,we were able to retrieve the medical records of 300 only. The median age was 61 years (range 13-84), 193(64.3%) males and 107 (35.7%) females.The most common presenting symptom was jaundice in 76%,abdominal pain in 59%.10 patients recevied neoadjuvant chemotherapy for size reduction prior to operation (3%).92 patients required preoperative biliary stenting.30% had pre-operative ERCP and 4 PTC.The median Ca19.9 was 86.6 (range 0.6-45707). 252 underwent standard Whipple procedure and 48 PPD with a mean operative time of 300 minutes (75-755 min). Results: The 1,3, 5 and 10 year survivals were: 85%, 35%, 18%, and 10% respectively. 44% had postoperative complications which included; pancreatic fistulas, biliary leak and delayed gastric emptying in 22, 5, 12% respectively. 47% were diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) median level was 251 (22-2337), albumin 37 (15-53), INR was 1 (0.75-2.2) Conclusion: With the improvement of surgical techniques and expertise, pancreaticoduodenectomy is becoming a standard procedure for pancreatic cancer with good surgical outcome compared to historical data.