Pharmacological Effects and Clinical Applications of Black Ants

Black ants refer to the dried bodies of Polyrhachis dives ants, belonging to the insect family Formicidae under the order Hymenoptera of the Insecta class. They are primarily produced in Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, and other regions. In 1993, the Ministry of Health of China designated black ants as the sole species of ants with dual medicinal and edible uses. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, "Ants, also known as Xuanju or simply ants... are incredibly strong, capable of lifting iron weights equal to their own body weight. When consumed by humans, they can enhance vitality and strength," suggesting their effects in strengthening the body's foundation, eliminating blood stasis and unblocking meridians, as well as nourishing the kidneys and strengthening yang.

In modern clinical practice, black ants are highly valued for their medicinal properties and are used to treat various diseases such as rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis B, diabetes, recurrent uveitis, scapulohumeral periarthritis, among others. They are hailed as a "treasure trove of nutrients from micro-animals" and a "natural medicine processing factory" due to their significant medicinal value.

Ants contain over 70 nutritional components essential to human bodies, among which proteins and amino acids are abundant. The protein content can reach as high as 42%-67%, including nine enzymes and coenzymes, 28 free amino acids, growth hormones, interferons, and the eight essential amino acids for humans. Additionally, ants contain high-energy phosphorus-containing compounds such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), as well as formic aldehyde and formic acid. They are also rich in various essential trace elements and minerals for humans, including selenium, manganese, zinc, phosphorus, calcium, among which 14 are necessary for human bodies. Notably, zinc and selenium are particularly abundant, with a zinc content of 230-280 milligrams per kilogram of ants. Moreover, ants contain special compounds like formic aldehyde, myrmicic aldehyde, citral, and various alkaloids, along with vitamins B1, B2, B12, A, C, D, and E. These components constitute the material basis for black ants' anti-rheumatic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, analgesic, and tumor-inhibiting effects. The high zinc content in ants can be used to treat severe zinc deficiency and rheumatic arthritis.

Pharmacological Effects of Black Ants

1. Enhancing Immunity

Studies have shown that black ant powder can significantly improve the lymphocyte transformation ability, antibody-producing cell count, and natural killer cell activity in mice, thereby enhancing their immune function. Furthermore, the ethanol extract of black ants can markedly elevate the phagocytic rate of macrophages, plaque-forming cell count, T-lymphocyte proliferation rate, and interleukin-2 (IL-2) levels in mice, reinforcing the immune function of mice with liver cancer models that exhibit impaired immunity. Additionally, black ants exhibit a notable recovery and protective effect on the immune function damage induced by cyclophosphamide in mice, promoting the production of antibodies by B lymphocytes in peripheral blood and thus enhancing the immune function of mice.

2.Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Effects

Related research has found that compound black ant capsules (composed of black ants, Gastrodia elata, Pseudoginseng, pangolin scales, and other medicinal ingredients) can significantly inhibit primary and secondary inflammation induced by complete Freund's adjuvant in rats, reducing the number of writhes caused by acetic acid in mice. Additionally, compound ant wine can markedly improve the early inflammation of rats with complete Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis, and it exerts a significant inhibitory effect on secondary lesions and xylene-induced ear inflammation in mice. Furthermore, it effectively inhibits the pain induced by the hot plate method and acetic acid-induced writhing response in mice, demonstrating its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.

3.Anti-aging

The petroleum ether fraction of the ethanolic extract of black ants has been found to increase the serum glutathione (GSH) content and SOD activity in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex tissues of mice with a subacute aging model. Research indicates that injecting an aqueous extract of black ants can elevate the DNA and RNA content, as well as the mother cell rate, in peripheral lymphocytes of mice. Additionally, it increases the levels of Mn, Se, and Zn in the blood and immune organs of aged mice, thereby exerting an anti-aging effect.

4.Blood Sugar Regulation

Black ants exhibit a significant hypoglycemic effect on mice with diabetes induced by alloxan, and this effect shows a dose-dependent relationship. However, they do not significantly affect the blood sugar levels of normal mice. The ethanolic extract of black ants can notably improve the glucose tolerance in mice with genetically induced type 2 diabetes (KKAy model). Furthermore, both 50% and 95% ethanolic extracts of black ants have been found to significantly improve glucose tolerance in NIH mice and Kunming mice of different genders, suggesting that the ethanolic extract may be an effective component for improving glucose metabolism.

5.Tonifying Kidney and Invigorating Yang

Anti-Wind Wine (containing black ants, Epimedium, wolfberry, and nine other traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients) can significantly increase the weight of seminal vesicles, prostate, and preputial glands in castrated male mice, as well as the weight of testes and epididymides, and sperm count in normal male mice. It also enhances the mass of testes and thymus in aged male mice. Black ant powder demonstrates a certain kidney-tonifying effect on male mice with yang deficiency induced by high-dose corticosteroids and castrated male rats.

6.Anti-depressant Effect

The ethanolic extract of black ants exhibits a significant anti-depressant effect on rats with depression induced by reserpine, and its mechanism of action is related to the regulation of neurotransmitter metabolism and anti-neuronal cell oxidation. Additionally, research has found that the petroleum ether fraction of black ants can significantly improve depressive-like behaviors in rats, inhibit the expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway proteins, downregulate the levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor in the prefrontal cortex, and suppress the activation of microglia and astrocytes, as well as the expression levels of the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase gene in rats with depression models.

7.Other Effects

The alcohol extract of ants and ant preparations (with black ants as the primary ingredient, combined with Radix Astragali, Polygonatum odoratum, Salvia miltiorrhiza, and other traditional Chinese medicinal herbs) exhibit protective effects on liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats. They can reduce the activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, alleviate fatty degeneration and necrosis of liver cells, slow down the proliferation of hepatic fibrous tissue, and promote the synthesis of albumin and total serum protein in chronic liver injury. Furthermore, the ethanolic extract of black ants significantly prolongs the swimming time of mice with a weight load, decreases the area under the blood lactate curve, accelerates lactate clearance, and reduces serum urea nitrogen content, indicating its anti-exercise fatigue effect.

Black ants exhibit unique therapeutic effects in clinical applications, particularly in the treatment of rheumatic and rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis B, and diabetes. Research has found that compound black ant capsules (with black ants as the primary ingredient) have significant effects on conditions such as weakness in the waist and legs, sexual dysfunction, insomnia, sciatica, and low immune function. Tianyiqi Granules, formulated with black ants, astragalus, and hive spleen extracts, have been used to treat patients with different types of hepatitis B (acute, chronic, and cirrhosis), with a control group receiving traditional treatments. The results showed that Tianyiqi Granules had significant therapeutic effects on all types of hepatitis B. Additionally, studies have also produced an ant-based hypoglycemic powder, which uses ants as the main ingredient and is supplemented with traditional Chinese medicinal herbs such as ginseng, astragalus, and rehmannia to nourish yin, tonify qi, and moisten the body fluids. This formulation has achieved excellent results in the treatment of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients.

Black ants are rich in chemical components, mainly including dopamine derivatives, alkaloids, organic acids, amino acids, and other components. They possess remarkable pharmacological activities, such as immune enhancement, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, and anti-aging properties, which contribute to their unique therapeutic effects in clinical applications, particularly in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis B, and diabetes. However, currently, there are still relatively few black ant-related preparations applied in clinical practice, necessitating the development and innovation of various dosage forms. Furthermore, the specific material basis of the pharmacological activities of black ants remains unclear and requires continued in-depth research.

References:

[1] Yang Zhixin, Liu Hui, Xu Guijun, Ji Lili, Bian Shijia, Lv Shaowa. Research Progress on the Chemical Components, Pharmacological Effects, and Clinical Applications of Black Ants [J]. China Pharmacy, 2020, 31(09): 1148-1152.

[2] Lu Jizong, Fan Xin. Black Ants: A Nutritional Treasure Trove [J]. China Health Care & Nutrition, 2011(02): 58-59.

About the Author

Xiaonisha, a food technology professional holding a Master's degree in Food Science, is currently employed at a prominent domestic pharmaceutical research and development company. Her primary focus lies in the development and research of nutritional foods, where she contributes her expertise and passion to create innovative products.