Development of a mobile unit specialized in extraction of bee venom

Abstract

The worker bees of the specie Apis mellifera produce on average 0,11mg of a specific bee venom to defend their colony. The bee venom consists of many substances that have pharmacological utility to cure various diseases. Because of this therapeutic potential, their bioactive compounds have been gaining international visibility and commercial importance. Situation that motivated many researches to develop more efficient bee venom collectors. In this context, the researcher of the present project, after 18 months of research and development, developed a prototype for extraction of apitoxin more efficient than those available in the market. With resources from the FAPESP PIPE Phase 1 program, the researcher carried out productive and economical feasibility tests of the prototype. The productive results of using the prototype were very good compared to the other devices available in the market. What remains to be tested in the production question is the periodicity of extractions of apitoxin that can be made in the same hive per year, without harming the swarm and the production of honey.The economic viability analysis of the production of apitoxin demonstrated that the production system needs changes to become efficient. The activity will only be profitable if it occurs the replacement of the utility vehicle used in the survey, by vehicle with the ability to transit on wetland roads with higher carrying capacity, associated to the kitchen, so that employees can carry out meals in remote regions. What brings us to the next phase of the research, whose main purpose is to answer two questions: How can the extraction of apitoxin be made profitably on a commercial scale with premium quality in remote regions? What is the periodicity between the collections of apitoxin that does not affect the productivity of honey of the swarm?In order to answer the first question, an F-4000 4x4 truck will be developed and transformed into a mobile unit specialized in production of apitoxin. To answer the second question, 360 hives will be used in 3 different locations that will undergo 8 apitoxin collection treatments. The first treatment is the control, where no collection will be performed, from the second to the eighth treatment, the hives will have apitoxin collected every 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 days consecutively. All 360 hives of the 8 treatments will have their production of honey monitored for a subsequent analysis of the comparison of productive average by treatment. The development of the mobile unit specialized in the collection of apitoxin is an innovation in the sector, which will allow the company to apply for the patent for a product that had not been available until then. The most important result of a productive nature is to scientifically guarantee how many extractions of apitoxin can be made in the year, without harming the production of honey. The ability of the mobile unit to operate, together with the number of days it may be possible to collect apitoxin, will determine the number of hives required for optimum operation of a mobile unit. The research data will provide the condition for the company to be able to format the performance of a specialized mobile unit, with a number of predetermined hives within a range, forming a production cell of a standardized production system. This production cell will have the estimated capacity to produce 20 kilograms of raw apitoxin per year with premium quality. The focus of the company is to operate and sell this technological package with all the products of the standardized system of production of apitoxin, in other regions of Brazil and around the world. (AU)