Efectos de la liofilización sobre cuatro actividades biológicas del veneno de Bothrops atrox (Serpentes: Viperidae) / Effects of lyophilization on four biological activities of Bothrops atrox venom (Serpentes: Viperidae)

ABSTRACT

Fresh venom was obtained by milking both sexes of adult Bothrops atrox snakes. Four biological activities were studied in both fresh and freeze dried venom local hemorrhagic in guinea pig skin, proteolytic upon casein (caseinolytic), esterasic upon TAME and fibrinogen clotting activity. All activities were detected in fresh venom Hemorrhagic (DHM = 0.93, DHR = 9.75 micrograms protein), caseinolytic (0.25 U kunitz/mg protein), esterasic (0.70 U/mg protein) and clotting activity (75.7 U NIH/mg protein). After freeze drying, all the biological activity of B. atrox venom enzymes decreased hemorrhagic, caseinolytic and clotting activity in 50 and the esterasic activity only in 15. Our results show that lyophylization decreases several important biological activities in snake venom related to a decrease in the venom enzymatic activities.