Antimicrobial Profile of Selected Snake Venoms and Their Associated Enzymatic Activities.
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Date
2012-10
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Abstract
Aims: To investigate the antiviral and antibacterial profile of several crude snake venoms
and to assess some of their enzymatic activities.
Methodology: The antiviral activities of Naja haje, Bitis arietans, Naja nigricollis and Echis
carinatus snake venoms were investigated against Herpes simplex virus type1, Rift valley
fever virus and Vesicular stomatitis virus using the end point of cytopathic effect method.
Antibacterial activities of Bitis arietans, Cerastes cerastes, Echis carinatus, Vipera lebetina,
Naja naja, Pseudechis australis, Naja nigricollis and Naja haje venoms were examined
against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa using disc diffusion method. Microdilution method was used to
determine the venom's minimum inhibitory concentration. L-amino acid oxidase and
phospholipase A2 activities of crude venoms were evaluated using enzymatic assays.
Results: Naja nigricollis, Bitis arietans and Echis carinatus snake venoms exhibited
significant antiviral activities against all test viruses, except for N. haje treated cells. The
mean depletion of viral infectivity titer of venom pretreated cells was higher than its
depletion post viral infection for all three venoms showing antiviral activities. Naja nigricollis
exhibited the highest antiviral activity against test viruses and recorded a mean depletion of
viral infectivity titer in venom pretreated cells of 3.8 log (10) / ml , 3.2 log (10) / ml and 2.5 log (10) / ml for HSV-1, RVFV and VSV, respectively. Pseudechis australis, followed by
Naja naja and Naja nigricollis venoms, showed the highest inhibitory activity against test
bacteria with inhibition zones ranging from 11-17 mm, 8-14 mm and 8-13 mm, respectively.
Minimum inhibitory concentrations of test venoms against different bacterial strains ranged
from 156 μg / ml to 1.25 mg / ml. Maximum L- amino oxidase activity was detected in Naja
naja, Cerastes cerastes and Pseudechis australis. The highest Phospholipase A2 activity
was identified in Bitis arietans, Pseudechis australis, Naja naja and Naja nigricollis.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that snake venoms or their bioactive derivatives can be
promising therapeutic agents against some microbial infections. Further investigations will
be carried out for purification and more characterization of the biologically active
components in snake venoms.
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Keywords
Snake venom, antibacterial activity, antiviral activity, L- amino oxidase activity, phospholipase A2 activity
Citation
Shebl R I, Mohamed A F, Ali A E, Amin M A. Antimicrobial Profile of Selected Snake Venoms and Their Associated Enzymatic Activities. British Microbiology Research Journal. 2012 Oct; 2(4): 251-263.