Therapeutic Effect of Bee Venom and Melittin on Skin Infection Caused by <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i>.

<i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i> (<i>S. pyogenes</i>) bacteria cause almost all primary skin infections in humans. Bee venom (BV) and melittin (Mel) have multiple effects, including antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. This study aims to demonstrate their effects on bacterial mouse skin infection using <i>S. pyogenes</i>. The dorsal skin was tape-stripped, then <i>S. pyogenes</i> was topically applied. BV or Mel were topically applied to the lesion. The tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, while immunohistochemical staining was performed with anti-neutrophil. <i>S. pyogenes</i>-infected skin revealed increased epidermal and dermal layers, but it was reduced in the BV and Mel groups. Finding increased neutrophils in the mice infected with <i>S. pyogenes</i>, but the BV and Mel mice showed decreased expression. These results suggest that BV and Mel treatments could reduce the inflammatory reactions and help improve lesions induced by <i>S. pyogenes</i> skin infection. This study provides additional assessment of the potential therapeutic effects of BV and Mel in managing skin infection caused by <i>S. pyogenes</i>, further suggesting that it could be a candidate for developing novel treatment alternative for streptococcal skin infections.