Bee Venom and Its Therapeutic Uses

The use of honey and other bee products goes back thousands of years. So that even its therapeutic benefits are mentioned in sacred books such as (Veda, the holy book of India), (Bible, the holy book of Christians) and the Quran. Apiterapy is the use of bee products for medical purposes, which includes honey, royal jelly, propolis, flower pollen, and mainly bee venom, which is known as apitoxin Bee venom consists of at least 18 pharmacologically active compounds including enzymes such as phospholipases, peptide and amino acid compounds such as melittin, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Other properties such as anti-apoptotic and anti-cancer properties have also been mentioned for bee venom. Since, the lethal dose (LD50) of the poison for humans is 2.8 mg/kg per kilogram of body weight, so it is a safe combination for therapeutic purposes. Bee venom has a high potential in the treatment of inflammatory diseases and the central nervous system such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, myotrophic sclerosis and various types of cancer. Also, due to its antiviral activity, it has been effective even against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Due to the prevalence of diseases in today's societies, it is inevitable to find new treatment solutions. On the other hand, the drugs used in traditional medicine play an important role in the treatment of diseases. Among these natural substances is bee venom. which should be taken into consideration due to its many therapeutic properties in the treatment of diseases.