Application of Principal Component Analysis for evaluation of chemical and antimicrobial properties of honey bee (Apis mellifera) venom

Abstract

The aim of this study was to employ Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to clarify the general distribution patterns or similarities of four major constituents (apamine, phospholipase A 2 , mast cell degranulating peptide, and melittin) of bee venom collected from two honey bee strains in various months and years. The contents of these main bee venom components have been analyzed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). In addition, the antimicrobial activity of the product was characterized by determination of the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). Using PCA it might be possible to find and describe the correlation between the constituents of bee venom and their antibacterial activity. This is probably the first study in which the composition and activity of bee venom has been compared applying such approach. It was shown that the strain of bee appears to be the only criteria for bee venom sample classification. Moreover, a strong correlation between phospholipase A 2 and melittin was confirmed. PCA analysis showed that there is a weak relationship between the analyzed honey bee venom constituents and MIC values. Minor components of bee venom therefore probably also significantly influence its antimicrobial activity. Aplicación del análisis de componentes principales para evaluar las propiedades químicas y antimicrobianas del veneno de abejas (Apis mellifera) ResumenEl objetivo de este estudio fue aplicar el Análisis de Componentes Principales (ACP) para determinar los patrones generales de distribución de las similitudes de cuatro componentes principales (apamina, fosfolipasa A 2 , péptido desgranulante de mastocitos y la melitina) del veneno de dos líneas de abeja melífera, recolectado durante varios meses y años. El contenido de los principales componentes del veneno de abeja fue analizado mediante cromatografía de líquidos de alta resolución (CLAR). Además, se caracterizó la actividad antimicrobiana del producto por medio de la determinación de la concentración mínima inhibitoria (CMI). Por medio del uso del ACP fue posible encontrar y describir la correlación entre los componentes del veneno de abeja y su actividad antibacteriana. Este es probablemente el primer estudio en el cuál la composición y la actividad del veneno de abeja se han comparado con este enfoque. Se demostró que la línea de abeja melífera parece ser el único criterio para la clasificación de las muestras de veneno de abeja. Además, se confirmó una fuerte correlación entre la fosfolipasa A 2 y la melitina. El ACP demostró que existe una escasa relación entre los componentes del veneno de abeja melífera y los valores de CMI. Otros componentes menores del veneno de abeja, probablemente influyen significativamente en su actividad antimicrobiana.

Phospholipase A2 enzyme from the venom of Egyptian honey bee Apis mellifera lamarckii with anti-platelet aggregation and anti-coagulation activities

“…Bee venom components are important in pharmaceutical industry and drug formulations. The honey bee venom has high biological activity and is a better form for certain potential pharmacological sources [ 32 ]. Bee venom PLA2 was stated to have great effects as anti-inflammatory, anti-neuronal injury, anti-nociceptive, anti-tumor, anti-parasite, and anti-bacterial [ 17 ].…”

Characterization of honeybee venom by MALDI-TOF and nanoESI-QqTOF mass spectrometry

“…However, because bee venom is a toxin, a comprehensive information about its toxicology, side effects and chemical composition is needed in order to develop pharmaceutical formulations for its safe administration. On the European and global markets there are some registered pharmaceutical formulations with crude honeybee venom (Forapin, Germany; Virapin, Slovakia; Apiven, France; Melivenon, Bulgaria; Apifor, Russia) [7]. On the other hand, honeybee venom is used in venom immunotherapy.…”

Proteome and phosphoproteome analysis of honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom collected from electrical stimulation and manual extraction of the venom gland

“…Recently, it has been discovered that melittin-loaded nanoparticles can attenuate HIV-1 infectivity, demonstrating the promising potential of bee venom for treatment of HIV [ 10 ]. Currently, several pharmaceutical formulations using crude honeybee venom have been registered and are available on the European and global markets, such as Forapin, Germany; Virapin, Slovakia; Apiven, France; Melivenon, Bulgaria; and Apifor, Russia [ 11 ].…”