Anxiolytic-like effect of a novel peptide isolated from the venom of the social wasp Synoeca surinama

•A novel peptide with potential pharmacological effect was identified from the venom of the social wasp Synoeca surinama.•Peptide's administration induced rats to spend more time exploring the open arm.•Rats treated with the peptide presented a dose-dependent anxiolytic-like behavior.•Chemical characterization of the peptide need to be performed in future work.

Pathological anxiety is among the most common psychiatric illnesses, but current treatment is highly limited. In this study, we investigated the potential anxiolytic-like effects of a peptide isolated from Synoeca surinama venom. Rats treated with this peptide spent more time exploring the open arms of elevated plus maze, which indicates an anxiolytic-like profile for this peptide. This study is the first to show the pharmacological use of S. surinama venom in the treatment of anxiety.

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