Active substance: Apisinum or Apitoxin
The active substance of all our products is APISINUM or APITOXIN, which are the names by which the Poison produced by female bees (queens or workers), resulting from the secretion of an abdominal gland is known.
Bee venom is a very complex mixture, essentially made up of proteins (50%) and still incompletely explored (158/4).
Its composition depends on four factors:
● the nectar that the bee collects
● the pollen it consumes
● its age
● its species
Among its components, melitin is a hemolytic peptide, which represents 40% to 50% of the dry weight of the poison. Its molecular weight (PM) amounts to 2,840. She is responsible for most of the pain and shock states. It exerts a detergent effect that can directly generate a lysis of the red blood cells and synergizes the effects of phospholipase A2. In itself, melitin is poorly allergenic and causes a slight increase in the rate of specific IgE antibodies by 25% to 50% of allergic subjects.
Apamina, with PM of 2,036, is present at a rate of 2% to 3% of the weight of the poison. It is an anti-inflammatory, neurotoxic and exciting central nervous system.
Peptide 401 (or MCD peptide, by mast cell degranulating peptide, which releases histamine from mast cells), also constitutes 2% to 3% of the venom. With a PM of 2,588, it has an anti-inflammatory action.
Adolapin (1% of the venom, with PM of 11,500) is anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic.
The venom also contains enzymes, among which phospholipase A2 stands out (with a PM of 19,000 it constitutes 10% to 12% of the venom). Together with hyaluronidase, which polymerizes hyaluronidic acid, it makes the tissues more permeable, which is particularly important in rheumatic conditions. Hyaluronidase is a potent allergen
Bee venom also contains phospholipids, at a rate of 4% to 5%.
Carbohydrates represent less than 2% of their weight.
Finally, catecholamines (especially norepinephrine), dopamine and histamine are the active amines of the poison. However, the anti-inflammatory properties (increased cortisolemia) of apamine, directed against histamine, perhaps explain why the minced person feels better quickly, shortly after the bite (355/25).