Prospecting of biological activities of apamin and melittin

The search for new drugs leads the researchs to meeting the natural products that offers an unimaginable amount of still unknown active principles. The modern apiculture is a segment of agriculture that provides some natural products such as propolis, honey, wax, royal jelly and apitoxin, which have been the subject of research due to the various biological activities already presented. Apitoxin (bee venom) is a complex mixture of bioactive substances, and between them the peptides apamin and melittin. The first is the smaller known neurotoxin and, with only 18 amino acids in its composition, represent 2% of the dry weight of the venom. Melitin, composed of 26 amino acids, corresponds to 50% of the dry weight of the venom and is a known toxic peptide capable of causing lysis in several cell types. In this sense, this study aims to characterize these two peptides as to their cytotoxicity and their antimicrobial power. By the reduction of MTT (3- (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) - 2-5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolate bromide) test, it was possible to determine the cytotoxic concentrations of melittin to 50% of the cell cultures (CC50) which ranged from 2.3 to 4.1 μg / mL and CC90, ranging from 2.7 to 4.7 μg / mL for different cell lines, and by expose these cells to melina for different periods it was observed that only 5 minutes of exposure, there was decrease in cellular viability. The toxicity tests performed in flow cytometry shows that, with melittin concentrations below the toxic concentration considerated by the MTT reduction test, the cells showed signs of melittin toxicity, altering the patterns of apoptosis and necrosis, increasing the peroxidation of membranes (LPO), as well as an intracellular production of oxygen reactive species (ROS) and the fragmentation of their DNA. By confocal microscopy it was possible to observe foci of apoptosis, necrosis and the increase of cell membranes fluidity proportional to the increase in the concentration of melittin in which they were exposed. There was a positive correlation between LPO and ROS (r = 0.3158, p <0.05), apoptosis rate (r = 0.4978, p <0.05) and mitochondrial functionality (r = 0.3149, P0.05). LPO seems to initiate the other evaluated events of cellular toxicity and increase mitochondrial functionality in response to the stress undergone by the cells. Therefore, the flow cytometry and confocal microscopy have demonstrated efficiency in helping to unravel the mechanisms of melittin toxicity and behave as complementary techniques to the MTT assay, which evaluates the cellular viability by mitochondrial functionality. As for the antiviral activity of melittin, there was inactivation of bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1), especially at 2μg / ml concentration. Apamin acting alone did not present antiviral power, but when allied to melittin, presented antiviral effect against bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). Results with similar patterns ocurred when analyzing the virucidal power of the substances, when melittin inactivated BoHV-1 with 2 hours of incubation with this virus but showed no action against BVDV, as well as apamine, but the association potentiated their virucidal effect against BVDV. As for antibacterial activity, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of melittin were, respectively (in μg / mL), against Staphylococcus aureus (6-7 and 32- 64), Escherichia coli (40- 42,5 and 64-128) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (65-70 and 64-128). Biofilms of S. aureus were more sensitive to the action of melitin compared to biofilms produced by Gram negative bacteria. Melittin was able to destroy preformed biofilms by the three bacterial species studied and inhibited the formation of biofilms by these species when they were previously incubated with melittin at concentrations below MIC. The results are promising as to the antimicrobial capacity of the substances presenting potential for the development of new drugs and / or sanitizers and the mechanisms of toxicity can aid in the development.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPESA busca por novos fármacos têm levado as pesquisas ao encontro dos produtos naturais que oferecem uma quantidade inimaginável de princípios ativos ainda desconhecidos. A apicultura moderna é um segmento da agropecuária que fornece alguns produtos naturais como a própolis, o mel, a cera, a geleia real e a apitoxina, que vêm sendo alvo de pesquisas devido às diversas atividades biológicas já apresentadas. A apitoxina (veneno de abelhas) é uma complexa mistura de substâncias bioativas, entre elas os peptídeos apamina e melitina. O primeiro tratase da menor neurotoxina conhecida e com apenas 18 aminoácidos em sua composição representa 2% do peso seco do veneno. Já melitina, composta de 26 aminoácidos, corresponde a 50% do peso seco do veneno e é um conhecido peptídeo tóxico capaz de causar lise em diversos tipos celulares. Neste sentido, este estudo objetivou caracterizar estes dois peptídeos quanto à sua citotoxicidade e seu poder antimicrobiano. Através do ensaio de redução do MTT (3-(4,5 dimetiltiazol- 2yl)-2-5-difenil-2H tetrazolato de bromo) foi possível determinar as concentrações citotóxicas de melitina para 50% dos cultivos celulares (CC50), que variou de 2,3 a 4,1 μg/mL e a CC90, que variou de 2,7 a 4,7 μg/mL para diferentes linhagens celulares e, ao expor estas células frente à melitina por diferentes períodos pôde-se observar que com apenas 5 minutos de exposição, houve queda nas viabilidades celulares. Já os ensaios de toxicidade realizados em citometria de fluxo demonstram que, com concentrações de melitina abaixo das consideradas tóxicas pelo ensaio de redução do MTT, as células já apresentavam sinais de toxicidade da melitina, alterando os padrões de apoptose e necrose, aumentando a peroxidação das membranas lipídicas (LPO), assim como a produção intracelular de espécies reativas ao oxigênio (ROS) e da fragmentação de seu DNA. Por microscopia confocal foi possível a observação de focos de apoptose e necrose e do aumento da fluidez das membranas das células proporcional ao aumento da concentração de melitina em que essas foram expostas. Houve correlação positiva entre LPO e ROS (r=0,3158, p<0,05), taxa de apoptose (r= 0,4978, p<0,05) e com a funcionalidade das mitocôndrias (r= 0,3149, p