| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3393791 | Acta Tropica | 2016 | 9 Pages |
•Opisthacanthus elatus, from Colombia, possess a venom enhancing a mechanism more lytic (proteolytic and hemolytic) than neurotoxic over mammals. Neurotoxic activity over mammals is suspected at doses above 100 mg/kg.•From all the analyzed RP-HPLC fractions, five fractions eluting enhanced indirect hemolytic activity. This activity, in the same fractions, was confirmed as dependent of enzymatic active phospholipases A2 (PLA2) since the same hemolytic fractions, hydrolyzed the specific PLA2 substrate 4-nitro-3-octanoyloxy-benzoic acid. The molecular mass of these fractions showed values up to 13978.19546 Da, corroborating the presence of this kind of compounds.•MS/MS analysis confirms the presence of phospholipase A2-like molecules in the O. elatus venom.•Opisthacanthus elatus venom high resolution mass analysis indicates the presence of 106 different protein compounds, on the selected fractions with masses ranging from 806.59742 Da to 16849.4139 Da.•No antimicrobial neither insecticidal activity was detected at the concentrations evaluated.
We report the first biochemical, biological, pharmacological and partial proteomic characterization studies of the Opisthancanthus elatus venom (Gervais, 1844) from Colombia. The Reverse Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography venom profile showed 28 main well-defined peaks, most eluting between 20 and 45 min (18–30% of acetonitrile, respectively). High-resolution mass analysis indicates the presence of 106 components ranging from 806.59742 Da to 16849.4139 Da. O. elatus venom showed hemolytic activity and hydrolyzed the specific substrate BapNa suggesting the presence of proteins with serine-protease activity. Collected RP-HPLC fractions eluting at 52.6, 55.5, 55.8, 56.2, and 63.9 min (PLA2 region between 33 and 40% of acetonitrile), showed hemolytic activity and hydrolyzed the synthetic substrate 4-nitro-3-octanoyloxy-benzoic acid, indicating the presence of compounds with phospholipases A2 activity. These RP-HPLC fractions, showed molecular masses values up to 13978.19546 Da, corroborating the possible presence of the mentioned enzymes. Tryptic digestion and MS/MS analysis showed the presence of a phospholipase like fragment, similar to on described in other Opisthacanthus genus studies. No coagulant activity was observed. No larvicidal or antimicrobial activity was observed at concentrations evaluated. Lethal and toxic activity is expected at doses above 100 mg/kg, no neurotoxic effects were detected at lower doses. In conclusion, O. elatus exhibits a venom with a predominant phospholipase A2 activity than thought; mammal’s neurotoxic activity is expected above the 100 mg/kg, which is very high compared to the venom from other neurotoxic scorpions.
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