Dr. Weeks’ Comment: since becoming a beekeeper in 1985, 40 years ago, inspired by my friend and mentor, master apitherapist Charlie Mraz, I have used products from the honeybee hive as therapeutic agents for a great variety of human suffering. Recently, there’s been articles about how bee venom helps breast cancer, search here and search here Part of the benefit is due to the anti-inflammatory component of the bee sting. All things in nature have their thesis and antithesis merged so we should not be surprised to learn that honey bee venom has both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory components. A decade ago I learned about the power of seed nutrition and how the seed of any plant is the treasure chest of nutrition. The seed concentrates nutrients 20 to 30 times more than the flesh of the fruit or vegetable. We eat the flesh of the fruit and vegetable because we love sugar, and ironically, we throw away the bitter seeds, which is where the nutrients hide. Of all the seeds, the king is the black cumin seed in terms of anti-inflammatory and healing powers. The article below is the first I’ve seen which combines the benefits of the venom therapy and black cumin seed for people with cancer. It’s exciting to see resource like this being presented nowadays.
Bee venom and thymoquinone combination inhibits cancer cells by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis
• Basheer A. Al Shammari et al Scientific Reports (2025)
Cite this article https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-28733-9
Abstract
Natural products have gained significant interest in cancer therapy. Thymoquinone (TQ), a bioactive compound mainly derived from Nigella sativa seeds, and bee venom (BV), a complex mixture of bioactive components secreted by honeybees (Apis mellifera), are notable examples. This study aimed to evaluate the synergistic anticancer effects of TQ-BV combination on selected cancer cell lines—HeLa, MCF-7, HCT—and normal human skin fibroblasts (HSF). BV was collected using a novel remote-controlled extraction device designed to maintain venom purity by isolating it from environmental contaminants and minimizing light exposure. HPLC was used to quantify the main components of the venom, thereby detecting the sample’s purity. MTT assays assessed cell viability. Apoptotic activity was analyzed through Annexin V-FITC/PI staining. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the cell cycle distribution, focusing on the Sub-G1, G1, and S phases in HeLa cells. Results from the MTT assay showed that the TQ-BV combination showed markedly increased potency against HeLa cells with an IC50 value of (1.495 ± 0.198 µg/mL). Combination Index (CI) analysis confirmed a synergistic effect in all cell lines. The apoptosis assay revealed an increase in both early and late apoptotic cells with the combination treatment in HeLa cells, which exhibited a notable rise in late-stage apoptosis, indicating enhanced apoptotic activity. Cell cycle analysis revealed that the combination appeared to induce arrest at the G1 and S phases, which may have contributed to reduced proliferation. Overall, the TQ-BV combination exhibited strong anticancer potential by inducing cell cycle arrest and promoting apoptosis. The high purity of BV, achieved through an optimized extraction method, may have enhanced its efficacy. Further in vivo studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore potential clinical applications.