Anticancer activity of bee venom components against lung cancer

Abstract

This study aims to determine the effects of bee venom on the proliferation capacity of Calu-3 cells and the migration ability of the cells. For this purpose, bee venom samples were collected from Apis mellifera anatoliaca in Muğla (Türkiye) provinces and Calu-3 cells were exposed to this bee venom. A test for cell viability using Calu-3 given bee venom in varied doses (20 μg/mL, 18 μg/mL, 15 μg/mL, 12 μg/mL, 10 μg/mL, 9 μg/mL, 7.5 μg/mL, 5 μg/mL, 2.5 μg/mL, 1.25 μg/mL, 0.625 μg/mL and 0.312 μg/mL) was conducted. And scratch assay was performed on cells treated with the doses (15 μg/mL, 10 μg/mL, 7.5 μg/mL, 1.25 and 0.312 μg/mL) and imaged every two hours for 24 hours. According to the results of our study's cell proliferation and scratch assays, bee venom had a cytotoxic and proliferative effect on Calu-3 cells which had a dose-dependent cytotoxic and proliferative effect. The study's outcomes how crucial dosage adjustment is in the use of bee venom in lung cancer studies due to its cytotoxic effect. Even though we have achieved a better understanding of how bee venom components work, our knowledge might still be improved by looking at how bee venom affects Calu-3 cells when combined with other substances or by developing the purification method for bee venom.