Producción y caracterización del veneno de abejas en Chulucanas, Piura

Abstract

This study describes the production and purification of bee venom in the northern of Peru and the content of interfering particles was evaluated after the coastal El Niño phenomenon. Likewise, changes in the amounts of proteins produced by hive and its main component, melittin, were evaluated. Honey bee (Apis mellifera) hive (n=60) were installed in the dry forest of Chulucanas (Piura, Peru) and the venom was extracted by electrostimulation. Interfering particles were observed and was purified by ultrafiltration. The protein content was measured by fluorometry and characterized by liquid chromatography. We found that the crystals of bee venom had interfering particles in 23.4 % of the dry weight. However, the particles mainly wax and propolis were decreasing over the course of the months (up to 6 % of the dry weight of venom) without altering the content of melittin (42.6 % of the content of the bee venom). For the use of safe bee venom crystals, it was possible to know the interfering particles during the months after the costal El Niño phenomenom. Despite a low protein yield during the first months, the physicochemical characteristics of melittin were not affected.

Keywords

• bee venom
• apitoxin
• coastal el niño phenomenon
• melittin
• apis mellifera.