Sea snake envenomation is a serious occupational hazard in tropical waters. In Malaysia, the beaked sea snake (Hydrophis schistosus, formerly known as Enhydrina schistosa) and the spine-bellied sea snake (Hydrophis curtus, formerly known as Lapemis curtus or Lapemis hardwickii) are two commonly encountered species. Australian CSL sea snake antivenom is the definitive treatment for sea snake env...

Patagonfibrase is a 57.5-kDa hemorrhagic metalloproteinase isolated from the venom of Philodryas patagoniensis (Patagonia Green Racer), a South American rear-fanged snake. Herein we demonstrate that patagonfibrase undergoes autolysis at its pH optimum (7.5) and at 37 degrees C, primarily producing a approximately 32.6 kDa fragment composed of disintegrin-like and cysteine-rich domains, as ident...

Snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) are abundant in the venoms of vipers and rattlesnakes, playing important roles for the snake adaptation to different environments, and are related to most of the pathological effects of these venoms in human victims. The effectiveness of SVMPs is greatly due to their functional diversity, targeting important physiological proteins or receptors in different...

An unusual suicide is described where the deceased, a schizophrenic young man in perfect physical health, deliberately injected himself subcutaneously with snake venom, by means of a syringe. The circumstances, autopsy findings and laboratory investigations are recorded.

The enzyme L-Amino Acid Oxidase (LAAO) is widely distributed in snake venoms, contributes a reasonable toxicity to the venoms. However LAAO from Indian cobra (Naja naja ) snake venom has not yet isolated previously. In the present study LAAO from Indian cobra (Naja naja ) snake venom was purified by sequential steps of cation exchange chromatography (CM-Sephadex C-25; CM-52 cellulose), followed...

Animal venoms comprise a complex mixture of components that affect several biological systems. Based on the high selectivity for their molecular targets, these components are also a rich source of potential therapeutic agents. Among the main components of animal venoms are the secreted phospholipases A₂ (sPLA₂s). These PLA₂ belong to distinct PLA₂s groups. For example, snake venom sPLA₂s from E...