In Latin America, Bothrops snakes account for most snake bites in humans, and the recommended treatment is administration of multispecific Bothrops antivenom (SAB--soro antibotrópico). However, Bothrops snakes are very diverse with regard to their venom composition, which raises the issue of which venoms should be used as immunizing antigens for the production of pan-specific Bothrops antivenom...

The phylum Placozoa is represented by a single known species, Trichoplax adhaerens, a tiny marine organism that represents the most simple metazoan bauplan. Because of the latter, placozoans were originally considered the most basal metazoan phylum. A misinterpretation of the life cycle at the turn of the century and some more recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have placed Trichoplax as a d...

conclusion: the newly produced recombinant protein bmk revealed to be immunogenic. moreover, anti-bmk antibodies produced in mice were able to recognize both the recombinant bmk neurotoxin and the one in m. eupeus crude venome. taken together, the molecular characterization and recombinant production of the iranian scorpion m. eupeus venom component can serve as a new probe for further studies ...

BACKGROUND Bothrops, Crotalus and Lachesis represent the most medically relevant genera of pitvipers in Central and South America. Similarity in venom phenotype and physiopathological profile of envenomings caused by the four nominal Lachesis species led us to hypothesize that an antivenom prepared against venom from any of them may exhibit paraspecificity against all the other congeneric taxa....

Bungarus candidus and Bungarus fasciatus are two species of krait found in Southeast Asia. Envenoming by these snakes is often characterized by neurotoxicity and, without treatment, causes considerable morbidity and mortality. In this study, the in vitro neurotoxicity of each species, and the effectiveness of two monovalent antivenoms and a polyvalent antivenom, against the neurotoxic effects o...

Neurogenesis initiates during early development and it continues through later developmental stages and in adult animals to enable expansion, remodeling, and homeostasis of the nervous system. The generation of nerve cells has been analyzed in detail in few bilaterian model organisms, leaving open many questions about the evolution of this process. As the sister group to bilaterians, cnidarians...

Marine organisms are rich sources of structurally diverse bioactive compounds. Recently, a great deal of interest has been expressed regarding marine-derived bioactive peptides because of their numerous health beneficial effects[1]. Although bio prospecting of marine organisms had yielded many bioactive peptides, pharmacologists have great passion for venoms associated peptides and their role i...

The ethanolic extract from seed kernels of Thai mango (MSKE) (Mangifera indica L. cv. 'Fahlun') (Anacardiaceae) and its major phenolic principle (pentagalloyl glucopyranose) exhibited dose-dependent inhibitory effects on enzymatic activities of phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)), hyaluronidase and L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) of Calloselasma rhodostoma (CR) and Naja naja kaouthia (NK)venoms by in vitro...