Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, cilt.98, sa.2, ss.41-61, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Throughout history, bee venom - a chemical emitted by the stings of honeybees - has been used as a remedy. "Melittin"is its best-known component and has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Gram-positive bacteria are particularly susceptible to the killing power of bee venom. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of bee venom against bacteria isolated from bovine mastitis. The sensitivity of a total of 14 isolates identified from mastitis milk samples collected from Uşak, a province in Turkey's Aegean region, was tested against the venom of the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.). The results showed that bee venom significantly inhibited the bacterial growth of Gram-negative bacteria. To determine the comprehensive antibacterial activity of bee venom, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of bee venom against bacterial strains was measured. The study results demonstrated that bee venom exhibited high antibacterial activity compared to different antibiotics. The largest inhibition zone was recorded for the 500 μg/ml dose of bee venom against Staphylococcus aureus at 36.03 mm, whereas the inhibition zones for ampicillin (10 μg/disc) and amoxicillin (20 μg/disc) were 33.78 mm and 29.42 mm, respectively. These findings suggest that bee venom, as a natural product, could be used as an alternative antimicrobial agent for bovine mastitis treatment. However, further in vivo and in vitro studies are required to assess the potential of bee venom as an alternative treatment for mastitis.