SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Virol.
Sec. Antivirals and Vaccines
This article is part of the Research TopicBridging Gaps in Antiviral Therapy: Innovative Approaches in Drug Discovery and Vaccine DevelopmentView all 5 articles
Honeybee Venom Therapy and Viral Infection: A Systematic Synthesis of Venom Antiviral Activity
Provisionally accepted
- University of Sulaymaniyah, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
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Abstract Bioactive components of honeybee venom (HBV) have displayed broad evolutionary antiviral activity in animal models, but there is limited evidence for the efficacy, indications or side effects of honeybee venom use in humans. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of available pre-clinical and clinical evidence that systematically assesses the antiviral efficacy and safety of honeybee venom. A comprehensive search strategy for all studies which reported on honeybee venom in relation to antiviral direct-acting effects was performed through electronic databases from their inception up to October 2025. A total of 32 articles were identified for quantitative synthesis, with some included under meta-analysis. Although most of the studies show high heterogeneity and limitations, the meta-analysis results provide encouraging evidence for the broad-spectrum antiviral property of bee venom against various viruses, such as influenza viruses, herpes simplex virus, HIV, hepatitis viruses, and emerging coronaviruses. Mechanistically, bee venom (BV) components directly disrupt viral replication or via body immunomodulation pathways. The main adverse effects of BV were dose-related cytotoxicity and mild allergic responses, with rare instances (less than 0.1% ) of anaphylaxis. Overall, the antiviral roles of honeybee venom were strongly supported in preclinical studies, though the clinical data on humans have their limitations. Therefore, improving formulation and conducting safety assessment in future clinical practice, particularly through the use of nanocarriers or combined therapeutic strategies, may enhance the imperative BV antiviral potency and reduce limitations.
Keywords: Apitherapy, Honeybee venom therapy, Natural antiviral products, SARS-CoV-2 chemotherapy, viral therapeutics
Received: 21 Nov 2025; Accepted: 02 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Sleman, Abass, Abdullah, Abid and Ameen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sirwan Sleman
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