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Full Length Research Paper
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Biological characteristics of the Bungarus candidus
venom due to geographical variation
L. Chanhome1,2*, O. Khow 1, S.
Puempunpanich
1,
V. Sitprija1 and N. Chaiyabutr1,2
1Queen
Saovabha Memorial Institute, the Thai Red Cross Society,
Rama IV Rd.,
Bangkok 10330 Thailand.
2Department
of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn
University,
Henry Dunant Rd., Bangkok 10330 Thailand.
*Corresponding author.
E-mail:
lchanhome@yahoo.com.
Tel.: +662 2520161-4 ext. 142 / 32.
Fax: +662 2540212.
Accepted 15 June,
2009
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Abstract |
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The objective of this study was to compare the biological
characteristics of the venom of the snake Bungarus
candidus from three different localities of Thailand
(wild-caught groups) and from a captive-born group in
aspects of the lethal toxicity, the enzymatic activities,
and the molecular weight of protein components. All venom
samples exhibited no significant differences in lethal
toxicity and the enzymatic activities of phospholipase A2,
protease, phosphodiesterase and hyaluronidase.
Significant differences between the wild-caught groups and
the captive-born group exhibited in the activities of
acetylcholinesterase, L-amino acid oxidase and
phosphomonoesterase. Among the wild-caught groups, the
enzymatic activities revealed significant differences in
acetylcholinesterase, phosphomonoesterase and
hyaluronidase. All
B. candidus
venom groups exhibited high lethal toxicity, high activities
of phospholipase A2, acetylcholinesterase and L-amino acid
oxidase, moderate activities of hyaluronidase and
phosphomonoesterase and low activities of phosphodiesterase
and protease. The protein components revealed variation in
SDS-PAGE pattern at the molecular weight in all groups in
the range of 7.1 – 41.3 kDa.
Key
words:
Snake venom,
Bungarus candidus,
biological characteristics, geographical variation,
Thailand. |
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