Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 7, 2025
RNAi-mediated Double Gene Knockdown and Gustatory Perception Measurement in Honey Bees Apis mellifera
Published on: July 25, 2013
In vivo neutralization of bee venom lethality by IgY antibodies
Carlos Leónidas Leiva1, Patricia Geoghegan2, Mónica Lammer2
1Instituto de Patobiología, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Nicolas Repetto y Los Reseros S/N, Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria, UEDD INTA-CONICET, Nicolas Repetto y Los Reseros S/N, Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Abstract:
Bee venom is a complex mixture of molecules, among which melittin and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) are the toxic components involved in envenoming accidents with multiple honeybee stings. Traditionally, the treatment of envenomings has been based on the administration of specific antibodies to neutralize the deleterious effects of toxins. An alternative to mammalian polyclonal antibodies is the use of egg yolk immunoglobulins (IgY) due to their advantages regarding animal welfare and lower costs of production as compared to the conventional production methods. In this work, a novel composition containing specific IgY antibodies was developed. After four immunizations, IgY extracted from the egg yolks was able to recognize several components of the bee venom, including melittin and PLA2. The performance of IgY to neutralize the lethal activity was evaluated in a mouse model by using one median lethal dose (LD50) of the bee venom. The effective dose of the IgY extract was determined as 30.66 μg/mg. These results demonstrate the feasibility to produce IgY-based antivenoms to treat envenomings by multiple bee stings.
