Photoprotective and therapeutic effects of Apamin, Melittin and Phospholipase A2 on human keratinocyte cell line

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the protective and therapeutic properties of bee venom components Apamin, Melittin and Phospholipase A2 against UV damage on the human keratinocyte cell line. Cosmetic and therapeutic effects of bee venom have been reported in previous studies, but it is not known which components of the venom have the most effect. For this purpose, firstly, an in vitro UV damage model was designed. Components of bee venom were tested at a different concentration. Cell viability, cytotoxicity and apoptotic processes were analyzed on the designed model. As a result, it has been observed that Apamin demonstrated a significant protective effect against UV-induced cell death at all concentrations. Photoprotective effects of Melittin were observed in all concentration time periods and its photoprotective effects were increased as the concentration increased. Our results were indicated that Phospholipase A2 could be used as a photoprotective and phototherapy agent. This study is the first to show the protective and therapeutic properties of bee venom components against UV damage. As a result, it has been shown that these components can be successful photoprotective and phototherapeutic agents against UV-induced damage, but more detailed studies should be conducted to minimize their toxic effects on cells.