Friday, April 25, 2008

Malaysian Researchers Study Medicinal Benefits of Bee Venom

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Malaysian Bee Venom

[Editor's Note: The following presentations were offered at the 6th German Apitherapy and Apipuncture Congress held in Passau from March 27th to April 1st.]

Mohd Nuruddin Abd Manap, Onn Haji Hashim, Yong Zulina Zubairi, Kamaruddin Mohd Yusoff
Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Foundation Studies, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract: Bee venom has been traditionally used to treat chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis in oriental medicine. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that Malaysian bee venom (MBV) can serve as a potent anti-inflammatory agent in a localized inflammatory state. The experiments were designed to evaluate the effect of MBV pretreatment on 1% carrageenan (CR)-induced acute paw edema. In addition, rat paw swelling was induced by 0.15 ml (CR) into subplantar area of the right hind paw. The paw volume was measured prior to CR administration and after five hours by using plethysmometer and quantitatively analyzed. In this preliminary study, pretreatment with MBV (0.8 mg/kg) 30 min prior to CR injection was found to suppress the paw edema evoked by CR as opposed to rats treated with normal saline. These results indicate that MBV pretreatment has anti-inflammatory effects. These data also suggest that MBV administration may be useful in the treatment of the edema associated with chronic inflammatory diseases. Further work is also needed to characterize the active component and to elucidate its exact mechanism of action in the anti-inflammatory effect.

Discovery of Malaysian Bee Venom Bioactive Components: A Proteomic Approach

Mohd Nuruddin Abd Manap, Onn Haji Hashim, Emida Mohamed, Puteri Shafinaz Abdul-Rahman, Kamaruddin Mohd Yusoff
Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract: Recent studies have shown that the Malaysian bee venom (MBV) possess anti-inflammatory effect. However, the active substances within MBV that exert the physiological effect are still unknown. Since the major components of MBV are proteins, MBV proteome analysis is a promising start in an attempt to identify its bioactive componens which may cause the anti-inflammatory effect. Thus, the aim of the present study was to identify these bioactive components. We have separated the MBV proteins by using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and stained with Coomassie Blue. The protein maps were scanned and analysed for both qualitative and quantitative differences by using Image Master 2D Platinum imaging software. Mass spectrometry analysis was performed on ten protein spots and eight of them were successfully identified. These proteins may play important roles in the anti-inflammatory effect of MBV.

Proteomic Analysis of Differentially Expressed Proteins in Sera of Carrageenan Induced Rats Treated with Malaysian Bee Venom

Mohd Nuruddin Abd Manap, Onn Haji Hashim, Emida Mohamed, Puteri Shafinaz Abdul-Rahman, Kamaruddin Mohd Yusoff
Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract: Proteomic analysis offers the sensitivity and reliability in attempts to understand the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory action of the Malaysian bee venom (MBV) in a complex cellular system. Our main objective was to identify serum proteins that are differentially expressed in CR induced rats treated with MBV compared to rats untreated with MBV. Sera of normal rats as opposed to those treated with CR in the absence and presence of MBV were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The samples were separated by isoelectric focusing using IPG strips of pH 3-10 and were further separated on 12.5% homogenous gel. Protein spots were then visualized by silver staining and differentially expressed proteins were identified by visual comparison with protein profile of a reference map which was developed by Gianazza et al., (2002). Our preliminary result demonstrated detection of approximately ten serum proteins that were differentially expressed in rats treated with MBV.

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