Antioxidant, genotoxic, antigenotoxic, and antineoplastic activities of apitoxin produced by Apis mellifera in Northeast, Brazil

ABSTRACT: The objective was to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant, genotoxic, antigenotoxic, and antineoplastic activities of apitoxin produced by the bee Apis mellifera. The antioxidant activity of the apitoxin solution was evaluated using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrilhydrazyl) method. Genotoxic potential of apitoxin was analyzed by comparing the mean DNA damage indices (idDNA) of L929 strain fibroblasts exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 - genotoxic substance), distilled water, or apitoxin. The antigenotoxic effect of apitoxin was analyzed by assessing the percentage decrease in H2O2-induced genotoxicity in L929 fibroblasts co-treated with three concentrations of the aqueous apitoxin solution and subjected to comet assay. In vitro antineoplastic activity in human tumor cell lines of prostate adenocarcinoma (PC3), hepatocellular carcinoma (HEPGE2), melanoma (MAD-MB435), and astrocytoma (SNB19), were verified by MTT [3- (4) bromide colorimetric method, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) -2,5-diphenyltetrazolium]. Apitoxin had no genotoxic effect on L929 cells at concentrations of 30, 10, and 5 µg/mL after 24 hours of exposure. This effect was only evident at 50 µg/mL. Apitoxin promoted a significant reduction in DNA damage index (idDNA) at all concentrations tested. At 30 µg/mL, apitoxin attenuated the genotoxic effects induced by H2O2. Apitoxin also demonstrated in vitro antineoplastic potential, since the cytotoxic effect was observed at concentrations of 50 µg/mL and 25 µg/mL, with significant reduction in viability percentage of PC3 tumor cell lines, HEPGE2, MAD-MB435, and SNB19. The high antioxidant activity associated with the absence of genotoxic effect and the genoprotective and antineoplastic effect demonstrated by apitoxin here provide indications of apitoxin’s therapeutic potential.