Table 1.
Clinical study on therapeutic application of bee venom for skin disease.
| Disease | Model | Venom/Compound/(Bee Species) | Dose (Administration Method) | Results | Mechanism/Molecular Response | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acne | Human DB, RCT (n = 12) | Cosmetic containing BV (Apis melifera) | 0.06 mg/mL, Cosmetic 4 mL twice daily for 2 weeks (Applied to whole face) | Significant improvement of KAGS score (p < 0.01), 57.5% decrease of ATP level which indicate MO level (p < 0.01) |
Not reported | [24] |
| Acne | Human (n = 30) | Serum containing BV (Apis melifera) | Not reported, Serum 0.7–0.9 g twice daily for 6 weeks (Applied to whole face) | Significant improvement (52.3%) of MCAGS score after 6 weeks (p < 0.001) Open and closed comedones were significantly decreased (p < 0.001). Significant decrease in papules (p < 0.05) |
Not reported | [25] |
| Atopic dermatitis | Human DB, RCT (n = 114) | Emollient containing BV (Apis melifera) | Not reported, twice daily for 4 weeks (Applied to entire body) | Remarkable reduction of EASI score in comparison to control (p < 0.05). VAS score for pruritus was notably declined compared with control (p < 0.05). TEWL value were not notably different between two groups. |
Not reported | [49] |
| Psoriasis | Human RLPP patients DB, RCT (n = 50) | BV (Apis melifera) | 0.05 mL/cm2 (intradermal injection around psoriatic lesion) | BV treatment group showed significant lower PGA scores against placebo group (p < 0.001). During the follow-up period of 6 months, psoriasis did not recur. |
TNF-α was notably decreased compared to control (p < 0.05). | [75] |
| Psoriasis | Human patients with localized plaque psoriasis (n = 48) | BV (Apis melifera) | Starting with 0.01 µL, increasing 0.01 µL every injection untill arriving 1 µL (Intradermal, twice weekly) TP: topical propolis twice daily OP: oral propolis 1 g/day by capsule |
PASI score was significantly decreased decreased after treatment (p < 0.01). Much more reduction than TP and OP. The highest reduction in (TP + OP + BV) group. |
Serum IL-1β was significantly decreased after treatment (p < 0.05). Much more decrease than TP and OP.The highest decrease in (TP + OP + BV) group. |
[71] |
| Scleroderma | A case report: 64-year-old Korean woman, White circular lesion on the right lateral iliac crest | BV (Apis melifera) | Dried BV 1 g dissolved in 10000cc water. Total volume under 0.2 mL. twice weekly (subcutaneous, along the margins of the lesion) |
On a 11-point numeric scale (NRS 11), average score of itch declined from 8 to 4 and sleep disturbance from 6 to 2, respectively. On the fifth visit, patient stated that she no longer felt an itch and had no sleep disturbance due to itching. Three months later, the follow-up evaluation showed that the condition of the skin was close to normal skin. |
Not reported | [64] |
| Wrinkle | Human, Double blind (n = 22) | Serum containing BV (Apis melifera) | BV 0.006% serum 4 mL twice daily for 12 weeks (Applied to whole face) | The average visual grade (SKWGS) of all patients with BV serum significantly improved (11.83% decrement) (p < 0.001). Total area, count and average depth of wrinkle were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). |
Not reported | [84] |
Abbreviations: ATP: Adenosine triphosphate, DB: double-blind, EASI: eczema area and severity index, KAGS: Korean Acne Grading System, MCAGS: Modified Cook’s Acne Grading Scale, MO: micro-organism, PASI: psoriasis area and severity index, PASI: psoriasis area and severity index, PGA: physician global Assessment, RCT: randomized controlled trial, RLPP: recalcitrant localized plaque psoriasis, SKWGS: south Korean wrinkle-grading system, TEWL: transepidermal water loss, TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-α, VAS: visual analog scale.