Synergistic Effect of the Bee Venom with Traditional Antibiotics on Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria

Background: The number of diseases caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria is increasing across the world. The potential risk of untreatable MDR pathogenic bacteria has been looming since the beginning of the 21st century. In last years, numerous researches have been conducted and confirmed the antimicrobial activity of natural products. Bee venom (BV) is a potent natural substance that has antibacterial properties. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the antibacterial properties of bee venom alone or in combination with several traditional antibiotics. Methodology: Fourteen multi-drug resistant bacteria were isolated, molecularly identified using the 16s rRNA gene sequencing technique, and submitted to Genbank database to get accession numbers. The antibacterial efficacy of bee venom was determined using the disc diffusion method. Results: BV showed high effective action with concentration 0.35 µg/mL in combination with six groups of traditional antibiotics if compared to the antibiotics or bee venom alone. The addition of BV increased the effectiveness of the antibiotics and increased their antagonistic potency. Bee venom chemical composition was assessed using GC/MS giving Azoxystrobin and Tebuconazole as major compounds. In a conclusion, our study addressed the issue of antibiotic resistance by offering a natural substance as a supportive to pharmaceutical therapies.