Sweet bee venom (sBV) contains various pharmacologically active components of bee venom (BV), but it is modified via the removal of the harmful substances found in BV. Thus, sBV has been used for pain relief in Oriental medicine but has only recently been applied for the treatment of various diseases. In this study, we examined the pharmacological effects and immunomodulatory functions of sBV in THP-1 monocytic leukemia cells. Growth inhibition and cell death were observed according to the concentration of sBV. However, the rapid collapse of cell cycle distribution was shown at 20 μg/mL sBV treatment, indicating that sBV led to cell death or acute cell rupture according to concentration. sBV administration activated Caspase-9, PARP1, RIPK1, and RIPK3, suggesting that the pharmacological actions of sBV were associated with induction of apoptosis and necroptosis. On the other hand, sBV or LPS administration increased cytokine expression, including IL-1β, and showed synergistic cell death in combinatory treatment conditions. Moreover, combinatory administration of sBV and LPS induced severe damage or death during egg development. This result implies that sBV exhibits both pharmacological and toxic effects depending on its concentration. Therefore, sBV might be a promising therapeutic approach, but optimal concentration should be considered before treatment.

Byung-Soo Ahn, Seokhyun Kang, Kyung Hoon Lee, Seoyoon Kim, Jin Sung Park, Hyung-Sik Seo. J Pharmacopuncture 2020;23:142-57. https://doi.org/10.3831/KPI.2020.23.3.142

Yoon-Jong Park, Jae-Min Ryu, Han-Heom Na, Hyun-Suk Jung, Bokhye Kim, Jin-Sung Park, Byung-Soo Ahn, Keun-Cheol Kim. J Pharmacopuncture 2021;24:68-75. https://doi.org/10.3831/KPI.2021.24.2.68

Jae-Min Ryu, Han-Heom Na, Jin-Sung Park, Byung-Soo Ahn, Keun-Cheol Kim. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2021;14:102-9. https://doi.org/10.51507/j.jams.2021.14.3.102

Pharmacopuncture is widely used in traditional Korean medicine, but its clinical reliability depends on chemical consistency and quality assessment. The present study aimed to establish a quantitative approach using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for simultaneously identifying and profiling key fatty acid marker compounds in Carthami Flos (CF) and Carthami Flos combined with deer antler (CFC) formulations. Whether this approach could be used in comparative quality evaluation was also evaluated. The GC-MS method was used to quantify four fatty acids (palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid) in CF and CFC formulations. Analytes were identified based on retention times and characteristic electrospray ionization mass spectral fragment ions. The analysis was conducted in the selective ion monitoring (SIM) mode to enhance analytical selectivity and sensitivity, particularly for structurally similar fatty acids. Univariate analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed. All four fatty acids were consistently detected and unambiguously identified in both CF and CFC formulations under the optimized GC-MS conditions. The SIM mode enabled the selective differentiation and accurate quantification of structurally similar fatty acids. Linoleic acid was the most abundant component in both formulations. Univariate analysis revealed a significant difference only in oleic acid content, but PCA discriminated CF and CFC samples, with the first two principal components explaining 97.56% of the total variance. The GC-MS-based multi-marker profiling seems feasible for quantitative comparison and PCA-based discrimination of CF and CFC pharmacopuncture formulations.