Egg-laying hens were immunized with the Echis carinatus venom and the resulting antibodies were extracted from egg yolk by four different purification methods. The chicken egg yolk antibodies were purified by the water dilution method, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and ammonium sulphate precipitation method, chloroform extraction and the Lithium sulphate precipitation method. These methods were com...

In contrast to earlier assays, the prothrombin determination described here uses a two-step reaction: first, prothrombin is activated with human factor Xa, phospholipids, Ca++ and factor V; second, the amount of activated prothrombin is assayed by the proteolysis of added fibrinogen. The assay is dependent only on prothrombin, and independent of other components of thrombin generation. Carboxy-...

An acidic phospholipase A2 (EC-I-PLA2) has been purified from the Indian saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) venom through a combination of column chromatography and electrophoresis. EC-I-PLA2 has a molecular weight of 16000 by SDS-PAGE. It was focussed between pH 4.2 and 4.8 by isoelectro focussing. EC-I-PLA2 was non-lethal to mice and devoid of neurotoxicity, myotoxicity, anticoagulant activit...

BACKGROUND Snakebite is a significant cause of death and disability in subsistent farming populations of sub-Saharan Africa. Antivenom is the most effective treatment of envenoming and is manufactured from IgG of venom-immunised horses/sheep but, because of complex fiscal reasons, there is a paucity of antivenom in sub-Saharan Africa. To address the plight of thousands of snakebite victims in s...

In recent years, use of biodegradable polymers based nanoparticles has received high interest in the development of vaccines delivery vehicles. The aim of study was to prepare chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs) for loading Echis carinatus (EC) venom and evaluate their potential as an adjuvant and antigen delivery system on a pilot scale. CS NPs were prepared using ionic gelation method, and their ...