A validated extraction technique followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography‐ultraviolet analysis for the assay of melittin as an indicator component of honey bee venom in cosmeceutical products

Abstract

Honey bee venom (HBV) is a valuable bee product famous for its therapeutic efficacy. HBV has a complex matrix containing several compounds, of which melittin is identified as the major component and can be considered an indicator compound. According to the numerous pharmacological effects of HBV, it can be a great candidate as an efficient active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). Despite the widespread analysis of crude HBV, not enough evaluations have been conducted on HBV pharmaceutical products, which is crucial in quality control procedures. Following the importance of APIs assay, we aimed to develop a feasible and valid HBV extraction method from cosmeceutical creams using precipitation techniques, and an analysis method was developed and validated based on high‐performance liquid chromatography.

The analysis was well performed with a high separation capability. The method was repeatable and accurate and exhibited a linear behavior in melittin's 0.1–1.4 mg/mL concentration range. Accordingly, the extraction method revealed a notable recovery between 86% and 104%, and a 0.007 mg/mL detection limit and 0.022 mg/mL limit of quantification were estimated, respectively.

Consequently, both extraction and analysis methods were considered valid and feasible, which may influence the quality control tests of HBV pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.