Abstract

Bee venom stings are still health problems in tropical areas. Local people use herbs as their first choice to relieve envenomation symptoms. In this study, the aqueous extracts of 22 plant species were screened for their activity against fibroblast cell lysis after Apis melliferaLinn. (Apidae)  bee venom treatment. The venom was preincubated with plant extracts for 30 min and then added to confluent fibroblast cells for 30 min. More than 30% viable cell was obtained after treatment with venom preincubated with 0.706 mg/ml extracts of Andrographis paniculata (Burm. F.) Nees (Acanthaceae). Around 50% viable cells were obtained from extract treatments without venom preincubation. Barringtonia acutangula (L.) Gaertn. (Lecythidaceae), Ipomoea aquatica Forssk. (Convolvulaceae) and Sapindus rarak DC. (Sapindaceae) showed moderate activities (10-30% viable cells) with various activity of cell toxicity (17-52% viable cells obtained from the control). Extraction with 0, 50 and 90% ethanol solution gradually decreased activity suggesting the hydrophilic properties of the ingredients.A. paniculata and I. aquatica were confirmed to have neutralizing activity in vivo. Two serum enzymes, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) increased indication of acute liver dysfunction after 2 h of swarm attack in anesthetized mice. These two plant extracts were able to reduce ALT, not AST, levels in experimental mouse serum.A. paniculata and I. aquatic showed high efficiencies as bee-venom antidote with low toxicity.

Key words: Apis mellifera, ALT assay, AST assay, bee venom, plant extract.