Studies on hemorrhagic toxins from the venoms of Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus, Crotalus ruber ruber, Vipera aspis aspis and Agkistrodon acutus and arginine ester hydrolases from Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus venom

Abstract

Venom samples were corrected from several poisonous snakes, such as Bungarus multicinctus, Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus, T. gramineus, T. flavoviridis, and Agkistrodon acutus, and stored in a desiccator at room temperature for 25 to 31 years. Then they were compared with fresh venoms as to their biological activities. The characteristic local symptoms produced by the bite of venomous snakes of Crotalidae and Viperidae are hemorrhage, necrosis and muscular degeneration. Hemorrhagic toxins were purified from Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus, Crotalus ruber ruber, Vipera aspis aspis, and Agkistrodon acutus venoms and their biological, biochemical, and pathological properties were investigated. Arginine ester hydrolases are present in the venoms of Crotalidae and Viperidae, but are not found in the venoms of Elapidae and Hydrophiidae. In this paper we describe the enzymatic and biological activities of arginine ester hydrolases from a Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus venom.