Detection of Melittin, a Characteristic Peptide of Bee Venom, in Semisolid Dosage Forms Using Liquid Chromatography–High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Due to its pharmacological and biological activity, bee venom is used in the production of various drugs and pharmaceutical forms, including ointments and creams. Melittin is the main component of bee venom, and its presence in a drug preparation is characteristic of the presence of bee venom as a constituent. An approach to the detection of this characteristic peptide component of bee venom in semisolid dosage forms, which involves recovery and preconcentration using solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection, was proposed. The specificity of the detection procedure was validated, and the limit of detection was 0.1 μg/g.