You may have heard of A Bug’s Life, but did you know that some bugs are used for drugs?
In places like East Asia, Africa, and South America, insects have been incorporated into medicinal treatments for centuries. Over the years, the field has been slowly growing as more and more experiments are conducted to evaluate the reported benefits of these bugs.
In some cases, the whole insect is used. Using maggots to clean wounds is a centuries-old technique, but Maggot Debridement Therapy was only first introduced into hospital settings in the 1920s. The therapy involves placing sterile maggots on a wound for two to three days. The main function of these maggots is to separate dead tissue from healthy tissue, making it easier for doctors to surgically remove the dead tissue. In addition, they help provide a moist environment that facilitates wound recovery by decreasing the risk of infections, preventing overactive inflammatory responses and promoting the closure of the wound.
Maggots can be used for debridement therapy.
Source: Stephen Dalton
More commonly, substances created by the insects (i.e. honey, venom etc) are used in medications or treatments. Various studies have presented the positive results of bee venom treatment for arthritis. In addition, adolapin, a substance present in bee venom, has shown many anti-inflammatory properties when tested on rats suffering from arthritis and hind paw swelling.
Some bug-made substances like propolis extract have demonstrated anti-cancer potential. Propolis is a resin-like material usually obtained from bee hives, that is formed when bees mix their discharges with sap from the tree that their hive sits on. The mixture is a sticky substance that is used to coat their hives. One of the compounds present in propolis that plays a role in anti-cancer properties is caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE). CAPE targets and blocks the signaling pathway involved in the proliferation of various cancers, thereby acting as an anti-cancerous substance. In addition, CAPE and propolis have demonstrated the ability to inhibit the cell cycle and destroy cancerous cells.
Propolis has demonstrated to have anti-cancer properties.
Source: GARO
Although insect treatments originated from areas where conventional medical care was not as accessible, the method has slowly grown in popularity as more people are discovering the benefits of these bug-derived compounds. Once we can overcome the stigma of using bugs to heal, we can potentially tap into a wealth of resources that may present more natural means of treating certain diseases. Perhaps in the near future, we may be reading insect names on the packaging of medicine at the pharmacy!
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