engleski

Comparison of the lethal venom toxicity test of snake venom from Croatia on mice and crickets

Snake venoms are complex mixture of enzymes and non-enzymatic proteins used for both the immobilization and digestion of prey. It is known that determination of 50% lethal doses (LD50) of snake venoms on mice appears to be an important step to assess (and compare) venom toxic activity. There are three species of venomous snakes in Croatia: long nosed viper (Vipera ammodytes –Va), European adder (Vipera berus - Vb) and meadow (karst) viper (Vipera ursinii - Vu). Eating habits of venomous snakes in Croatia are different. Va and Vb primarily eat small mammals. The karst viper in Croatia (VuCro) favours high-mountain dry grasslands so its choice of food is limited on insects. For proteomic investigation and biological (toxinological) profile of the venom of Vu, we need a method to prove insecticide component in venom. Therefore, we decided to compare their venoms using lethal toxicity test on both mice and crickets, because venom toxicity test only on mice is not suitable to evaluate VuCro venom potency. The VuCro venom is less lethally toxic in mice than the Va or Vb venom however ; the pattern of mice dying indicates the presence of a strong neurotoxic component. Crickets (Gryllus assimilis) were used as a model, which mimics the natural insect prey. The obtained results that VuCro venom is as twice as more toxic than Va and Vb venom on crickets. Taken all together, VuCro venom might be a good starting material for the discovery of a novel neurotoxic component in Vipera venoms with potentially insecticidal activity. Therefore, this test helps us to discover a component, which makes those venoms different. The lethal venom potency test on crickets is accordant with 3R principles.

viper ; venom ; lethal toxicity test ; LD50 ; mice ; crickets ; Croatia

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