Abstract Melittin, the main bee venom component, has many positive biological effects and a relatively
low toxicity in various cell types. However, there is no evidence of the effect of melittin on
gastrointestinal cells. In the present study, we investigated the histological and immuonohistochemical
effects of melittin on mice stomach. Adult male mice (Albino Swiss) were randomly divided into
two groups (7 mice for each group): control group and melittin only treated group (10 and 40 lg/
kg). These mice were sacrificed, then samples from the stomach were collected and prepared for histopathological
studies by using alcian blue stain and immuonohistochemical studies by using
smooth muscle actin (SMA) antibody. Treatment with melittin alone do not cause any harmful
effect on the stomach tissue where the microscopic examination of Alcian blue stained section
showed the normal distribution of the mucous secreting cells of the stomach tissues. On other hand,
no changes were observed on smooth muscle cells. This study demonstrated the safety of using melittin
on gastrointestinal tissues if used in definite dose and for suitable duration, which offers an
opportunity for its use as a treatment for many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
عبير الأحمري | Abeer Alahmari | 5460