PRESENT

DEPARTMENTAL PROJECTS

TITLE: TO DETERMINE THE POTENCY OF LYOPHILZED SNAKE VENOM

Principal Investigator: Dr. Abhay Chowdhary
Co-Investigator: Dr. Mrunal Ghag Sawant
Research Scholar: Mr.Vishal Wagh

ABSTRACT

Considering to all importance of snake venom, it is necessary to evaluate the toxicity of protein components of snake venom. In Haffkine institute, the Snake venom is extracted (milked) from different types of poisonous snakes. This extracted venom is stored in the form of lyophilised powder until its requirement for commercial production for anti-snake venom or for any research organization who want to carry research on snake venom. Snake venom is a very costly substance, but unfortunately we don’t have any data who states whether the efficacy of venom is increasing or decreasing in correlation of time. Haffkine institute are in the process of lyophilising the snake venom since Year 1990 till date.

In this experiment, we want to check the potency of various lyophilized venom in accordance to the time of storage. It is hypothesized that, snake venom remain active for approximately 5 to 7 years from the date of its extraction from snake, so in this study we want to find out the potency of snake venom and also to determine its efficacy according to time.
Snake venom is very costly, so it has to be utilized very consciously. If this study reveals that, the potency of venom did not decline until 15 years from the date of extraction and lyophilization, we can make use of lyophilized venom for more than 15 year.  In this way we can utilised the lyophilized venom more efficiently.

TITLE: ANTI-VENOM ACTIVITY OF PLANT EXTRACT

Principal Investigator: Dr. Abhay Chowdhary
Co Investigator: Dr. Mrunal Ghag Sawant
Research Scholar: Mr. Nakul Shah

ABSTRACT

The present investigation deals with the ethnomedicinal plants. The indigenous knowledge of the village dwellers, the herbal medicine practitioners and other traditional healers and the native plants used for medicinal value will be collected through questionnaire and personal interviewed during the field trips. The study will revealed some unknown medical uses of medicinal plants.  The traditional healers are dwindling in number and there is a grave danger of traditional knowledge disappearing soon since the younger generation is not interested to carry on this tradition. The scientific name, family, vernacular name (Marathi), part used and traditional plants of 22 families will be screened here for screening their use for the treatment of various ailments

PhD PROJECT

TITLE: “CHARACTERISATION OF SNAKE VENOM AS POTENTIAL INFLAMMATION INHIBITOR”

Principal Investigator: Dr. Abhay Chowdhary
Co Investigator: Dr. Mrunal Ghag Sawant
PhD Research Scholar: Mr.Vishal Wagh

ABSTRACT

Inflammation is a part of the complete biological response of vascular tissue to harmful stimuli produce due to pathogen. Inflammation is a mechanism in which it protect from harmful organism or their by product and initiate healing process. However chronic inflammation can also lead to many diseases e.g. Hay Fever, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Cancer etc. In RA physiological consequence includes pain, inflammation and joint tissue destruction, leading to restriction of movement of joints. The therapeutic management are well known like analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), glucocorticoids, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS), and anti-cytokine therapies. etc including their limitation. In Ayurveda, cobra venom was used in the treatment of pain and other inflammatory conditions. Various other snake venoms also show anti-inflammatory activity i.e. Elapids, Crotalus (rattle snake). There are many medicines available as the anti-inflammatory action but they have lots of side effects.  The most common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, decreased appetite, rash, dizziness, headache, and drowsiness. eg. NSAIDs may also cause fluid retention, leading to edema. The most serious side effects are kidney failure, liver failure, ulcers and prolonged bleeding after an injury or surgery. So we are in search of substances that have anti-inflammatory activity with low side effect. So we are here trying to analyse snake venom as anti-inflammatory activity.

FUTURE PROJECT PLANNED

1. In vitro evaluation of enzyme inhibition of plant extract on venom

1. Study of microflora of snakes mouth, evolution and constitution of snake venom, dietary effect on venom production

RECENTLY COMPLETED PROJECT

TITLE: IN VITRO EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF LYOPHILIZED SNAKES VENOMS

Principal Investigator: Dr. Abhay Chowdhary
Co Investigator: Dr. Mrunal Ghag Sawant / Mrs. Pallavi Ansulkar
Research Scholar: Mr.Vishal Wagh

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION - Snake venom is a combination of many different proteins, peptides and enzymes with cytotoxic effects, neurotoxins, coagulants and anti-coagulants. An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the Reactive Oxygen Species results into cell disintegration, DNA mutation, which can further initiate or propagate cancer, liver injury and cardiovascular diseases. Currently much interest is getting generated in the anti-oxidant properties of biological compounds, which in turn may be used for management of many clinical conditions.

OBJECTIVE - Objective of study is to evaluate Total Reduction Capacity of different types of lyophilized venom of Common Indian Venomous Snakes

MATERIAL AND METHOD - Lyophilized snake venom for Cobra (Naja naja), Krait (Bungarus caeruleus), Russell's viper (D. russelli) & Saw scaled viper (E.) were available in the Department of Snake Farm, Haffkine Institute, Mumbai. Total reducing capacity was evaluated in-vitro by using FeCl3 Reducing Assays. Venom concentration used (100,200,400,700 and 1000 µg/mL) were screened for their Fecl3 reducing activity using spectrophotometer. The absorbance of the final reaction mixture was taken and Graph of Optical Density v/s Concentration was plotted.

RESULT - The present findings revealed that different types of snake venom have antioxidant activity at various concentrations used for Fecl3 reducing assay whereas Saw Scaled Viper venom has significant reducing potential compared to R. viper, Krait and Cobra venom used for the assay.

CONCLUSION - Based on the above findings it can be concluded that snake venom has potential anti oxidant activity. There is great scope for further exploration of this potential for therapeutic application in alleviating the oxidation induced ailments.

TITLE: ASSESSMENT OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY AND MIC OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF SNAKE VENOM

Principal Investigator: Dr. Abhay Chowdhary
Co Investigator: Dr. Mrunal Ghag Sawant / Dr. Shashikant Vaidya
Research Scholar: Mr.Vishal Wagh

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION - According to World Health Organization, Bacterial infections are amongst the leading etiologies of infection related mortalities worldwide. The presence & current emergence of Multiple Drug Resistant Strains make the risk of these infections become more threatening. Therefore, Design and development of new antimicrobials are necessary for treatment of such MDR microorganisms. In the present Study, We have evaluated crude snake venom as antimicrobial agent because owing to their proven pharmacological and toxicological properties.

OBJECTIVES- The aim of present study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of crude snake venom, against the various bacterial strains.

MATERIAL AND METHOD- Crude snake venom for Cobra (Naja naja), Krait (Bungarus caeruleus), Russell's Viper (D. russelli) & Saw scaled viper (E. carinatus) were available in the Department of Snake Farm, Haffkine Institute, Mumbai.  Antibacterial potential was evaluated by Standard Agar-Well diffusion method using Standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 3750), E.coli (ATCC 10148), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Clinical Isolate)organism. Venom dilutions such as 100, 10, 1, 0.1 and 0.01 % were prepared in PBS. Results were checked after overnight incubation and Zone of inhibition was measured and recorded.
RESULTS - The present findings indicate that Viperidae (D. russelli and E. carinatus) and Elapidae (Naja naja and Bungarus caeruleus) venoms have antibacterial effects against standard strains of bacteria. Cobra venom has showed significant activity against all three organisms, R. viper and Krait venom showed moderate activity against S. aureus whereas Saw scaled viper venom has showed activity against S. aureus only at highest concentration