Snake Venom, Anti-snake Venom & Potential of Snake Venom

Many active secretions produced by animals have been employed in the development of new drugs to treat diseases such as hypertension and cancer. Snake venom toxins contributed significantly to the treatment of many medical conditions. Venomous snakes have a bad reputation and rightly so because of their often deadly bites. But what makes a snake’s bite so deadly is the venom. Of the 3000 snake species, just over 600 are venomous. Snake venoms are made up of hundreds of different types of peptides, enzymes, and toxins. Each individual snake produces its own specific venom. There are two main types of venom viz. hemotoxins and neurotoxins. Hemotoxins target the circulatory system. They prevent clotting compounds from functioning correctly, which causes uncontrollable bleeding. Neurotoxins target the central nervous system. They stop muscles from working, which leads to suffocation. Venoms that are composed of neurotoxins are particularly deadly, as the proteins within them are able to disrupt the channels that allow ions to flow across neuron membranes. When these communication channels are disrupted, entire body systems can crash, leading to immediate death. Medicines derived from hemotoxins are used to treat heart attacks and blood disorders. These drugs also lead to decreased incidence of stroke, kidney disease, heart failure, and diabetes. Medicines derived from neurotoxins are used to treat brain injuries, strokes, and diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Understanding the connection between the snake venom proteins and particular receptors could have a profound impact on the development of new treatments for diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and various pain disorders. An attempt has been made to review snake venom, which are anti-snake venom plants & potential of snake venoms.