In Israel, Vipera xantina palestinae (V.x.p.) is the most common venomous snake, accounting for several hundred cases of envenomation in humans and domestic animals every year, with a mortality rate of 0.5 to 2%. In this review we will briefly address the research developments relevant to our present understanding of the structure and function of V.x.p. venom with emphasis on venom disintegrins...

Because snake venoms are complex mixtures of bioactive molecules, snake bites produce a large panel of symptoms which cannot be totally prevented by current antivenoms. Thus investigating plant extracts for antivenomics therapy approaches seemed relevant. Here, we evaluated the potency of the aqueous Buds extract of Eucalyptus (ABEE) to counteract the main enzymatic activities of Montivipera bo...

Background – The aim of present study was to investigate a possible link between the creatine kinase (CK) content in the V. xanthia raddei venom and its acute toxicity values. Methods – Creatine kinase, the ATP-generating enzyme belonging to a phosphotransferases family, has been completely purified from the venom of Vipera xanthia raddei using a novel method of affinity chromatography on ADP-S...

Over the last few decades, research on snake venom toxins has provided not only new tools to decipher molecular details of various physiological processes, but also inspiration to design and develop a number of therapeutic agents. Isolated from the venom of Macrovipera lebetina obutusa (MLO), obtustatin represents the shortest known snake venom monomeric disintegrin specific inhibitor of α1β1 i...

OBJECTIVE(S) Echis carinatus is one of the venomous snakes in Iran. The venom of Iranian Echis carinatus is a rich source of protein with various factors affecting the plasma protein and blood coagulation factor. Some of these proteins exhibit types of enzymatic activities. However, other items are proteins with no enzymatic activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS In order to study the mechanism and ...

A toxic phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) is isolated from the neurotoxic complex Vipoxin, the major lethal component of the venom of Vipera ammodytes meridionalis. The enzyme is complexed to the synthetic inhibitor elaidoylamide and crystallized. The crystals belong to the space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit cell dimensions a=46.57 A, b=82.68 A, c=119.47 A and beta=90 degrees. Initial diffraction d...

A novel C-lectin protein, lebecetin, was purified and characterized from the venom of Macrovipera lebetina. It is a disulfide-linked heterodimer of 15 and 16 kD. The subunits are homologous to each other and to the other snake venom proteins of the C-type (Ca(2+)-dependent) lectin superfamily. Lebecetin shows a potent inhibitory effect on whole blood and washed platelets induced by different ag...