Apis mellifera Venom Inhibits Bacterial and Fungal Pathogens in vitro

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Bacterial and fungal infections are major public health problems. Emerging of drug-resistant microbial strains urges the need for the development of alternative untraditional antimicrobial agents. Bee venom is a rich source of secondary metabolites and antimicrobial agents. In this study, the antimicrobial and antifungal potential of <i>Apis mellifera</i> BV (<i>Am</i>BV) against some medically important bacterial and fungal pathogens was investigated. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Broth microdilution method and Colony Forming Unit (CFU) assay were used to screen the antibacterial potential of <i>Am</i>BV. Similarly, the antifungal activity of <i>Am</i>BV was evaluated using the agar-well diffusion assay. Moreover, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of <i>Am</i>BV against tested microorganisms were determined. <b>Results:</b> <i>Am</i>BV significantly inhibited bacterial and fungal growth. The MIC values of <i>Am</i>BV were 15.625, 31.25, 7.8, 7.8 μg mL¹ against <i>Escherichia coli</i> ATCC 8739, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> ATCC 6538P, <i>Serratia marcescens</i> AUH 98 and <i>Streptococcus mutans</i> ATCC 25175, respectively. Similarly, <i>Am</i>BV at concentrations of 300 and 600 μg mL¹ significantly inhibited the growth of <i>Aspergillus niger</i> ATCC 16404, <i>Alternaria alternata</i> MLBM09, <i>Fusarium oxysporum </i>MLBM212 and <i>Aspergillus flavus. </i><b>Conclusion:</b> These results indicated that<i> Am</i>BV could be used in future preclinical and clinical studies to develop cost-effective and efficient antibacterial and antifungal agents. Moreover, this study presents <i>Am</i>BV as an efficient alternative antimicrobial agent against medically important pathogens.