In-vitro Investigation of the Effect of Bee Venom on Schistosoma mansoni Eggs

Schistosomiasis (Bilharziasis) is a fatal parasitic disease caused by parasitic worms with the genus Schistosoma. The release of Schistosoma eggs in running fresh water contributes to completing its life cycle. Therefore, finding a suitable drug having ovicidal activity towards eggs is crucial. Here, we investigate the in-vitro effect of bee venom (the venom of Apis millifera) on the eggs of Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni). The eggs were incubated with different concentrations of bee venom and then the percent mortality, hatchability and morphology of the eggs were observed. It was found that bee venom causes morphological alterations for S. mansoni eggs. In addition, there is a critical concentration (100 µg/mL) at which bee venom leads to the lowest mortality and the highest hatchability percent. Below or above this threshold, the mortality increases and the hatchability decreases. Moreover, bee venom was proven to have a lethal effect on S. mansoni miracidia.