[Research progress on chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of small molecule compounds in scorpions].

Scorpions, a group of oldest animals with wide distribution in the world, have a long history of medicinal use. Scorpio, the dried body of Buthus martensii, is a rare animal medicine mainly used for the treatment of liver diseases, spasm, and convulsions in children in China. The venom has been considered as the active substance of scorpions. However, little is known about the small molecules in the venom of scorpions. According to the articles published in recent years, scorpions contain amino acids, fatty acids, steroids, and alkaloids, which endow scorpions with antimicrobial, anticoagulant, metabolism-regulating, and antitumor activities. This paper summarizes the small molecule chemical components and pharmacological activities of scorpions, with a view to providing valuable information for the discovery of new active molecules and the clinical use of scorpions.

[Site-specific PCR identification of animal species and formula particles of Scorpio].

Scorpio, a commonly used animal medicine in China, is derived from Buthus martensii as recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. China harbors rich species of Scorpionida and adulterants exist in the raw medicinal material and deep-processed products of Scorpio. The microscopic characteristics of the deep-processed products may be incomplete or lost during processing, which makes the identification difficult. In this study, the maximum likelihood(ML) tree was constructed based on the morphology and cytochrome C oxidase subunit I(COⅠ) to identify the species of Scorpio products. The results showed that the main adulterant of Scorpio was Lychas mucronatus. According to the specific SNP sites in the COⅠ sequence of B. martensii, the stable primers were designed for the identification of the medicinal material and formula granules of Scorpio. The polymerase chain reaction(PCR) at the annealing temperature of 61 ℃ and 30 cycles produced bright specific bands at about 150 bp for both B. martensii and its formula particles and no band for adulterants. The adaptability of the method was investigated, which showed that the bands at about 150 bp were produced for Scorpio medicinal material, lyophilized powder, and formula granules, and commercially available formula granules. The results showed that the established method could be used to identify the adulterants of Scorpio and its formula granules, which could help to improve the quality control system and ensure the safe clinical application of Scorpio formula granules.

Genetic Diversity within Scorpio Genus (Scorpion: Scorpionidae) from Iran: Preliminary Evidence based on 16srRNA Sequence.

The yellow digger scorpion, Scorpio maurus, is a medically important scorpion for which little is known about its genetic diversity. Polymerase chain reaction products of 16srRNA gene fragments were generated from scorpion specimens named SmKh1 and SmKh2. These sequences showed high similarity with the only partial sequence of S. maurus isolate SCA1 large subunit ribosomal RNA gene available in the Genbank database. The drawing of the phylogeny tree showed two clusters, A and B. The two specimens (SmKh1 and SmKh2), which are placed in sub-cluster A2, were provided from Behbahan, Iran, and they have the closest relationship with the only sequence of S. maurus (MW281771), which is also collected from Behbahan. It is noteworthy that the two sequences obtained from S. maurus scorpions recorded from Miandoab (MK170444) and Mahabad (KU705354), which are in sub-cluster A1, are more similar to the scorpions isolated from the Mediterranean basin than those collected from Behbahan. This issue is probably due to the fact that patterns of genetic diversity are a reflection of variation in gene flow, which is also influenced by factors such as territorial barriers and geographical distances. We conclude that the scorpions of this study accompanied by similar scorpions in the Mediterranean basin, belong to the same species despite the insignificant differences.

Composición química del aceite esencial de Ocotea cymbarum Kunth (cascarillo y/o sasafrás) de la región Orinoquia / Chemical composition of essential oil of Ocotea cymbarum Kunth (cascarilla and/or sassafras) from the Orinoquía region

Introducción: en algunas poblaciones de la Orinoquia colombiana y/o venezolana venden, en plazas de mercado, los aceites de cascarillo y sasafrás; estos aceites son empleados para aliviar dolencias como artritis reumática, afecciones respiratorias y tratar picaduras de insectos y animales ponsoñosos. Los productos se obtienen de la especie Ocotea cymbarum Kunth, la cual tiene una abundante sinonimia botánica como Alseodaphne cymbarum,Licaria cymbarum, Misanteca cymbarum, Nectandra barcellensis, Nectandra cymbarum, Nectandra elaiophora, Nectandra oleífera y Ocotea barcellensis. Objetivo: realizar un análisis comparativo de las características fisicoquímicas del aceite esencial de cascarillo y/o sasafrás (posible Ocotea cymbarum Kunth). Métodos: la composición química relativa de los aceites obtenidos de madera y corteza fue determinada mediante cromatografía de gases acoplada a espectrometría de masas (CG-EM), el cálculo y comparación de índices de retención en columnas de polaridad ortogonal y la comparación de los espectros de masas por impacto electrónico con los de las bases de datos NIST08.L, Wiley9.L. Resultados: fueron determinados 45 compuestos en las muestras analizadas y más del 90 por ciento de la composición relativa establecida para cada aceite corresponde a compuestos monoterpénicos principalmente alcanfor y alfa-terpineol. Al realizar un análisis de las rutas biosintéticas que conducen a la generación de los principales compuestos detectados en los aceites analizados, se evidenció que las especies de donde se obtuvieron estos aceites, presentan diferentes grados de evolución micromolecular. Conclusión: los aceites de cascarillo y sasafrás provienen de especies vegetales con diferentes grados de evolución química. Este resultado refuerza la evidencia de la alta diversidad biológica de la familia Lauraceae. El trabajo fue realizado con el apoyo financiero del Laboratorio de Productos Naturales Vegetales del departamento de Química de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Bogotá(AU)

Introduction: cascarilla and sassafras oils are sold in market places of some settlements in the Colombian and/or Venezuelan Orinoquía. These oils are used to alleviate conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and respiratory disorders, and to treat the bites of insects and poisonous animals. The oils are obtained from the species Ocotea cymbarum Kunth, which displays abundant botanical synonymy as Alseodaphne cymbarum, Licaria cymbarum,Misanteca cymbarum, Nectandra barcellensis, Nectandra cymbarum, Nectandra elaiophora, Nectandra oleífera and Ocotea barcellensis. Objective: carry out a comparative analysis of the physicochemical characteristics of essential oil of cascarilla and/or sassafras (Ocotea cymbarum Kunth).Methods: the relative chemical composition of oils obtained from wood and bark was determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Estimation and comparison of retention indices was conducted with orthogonal polarity columns. Comparison of electron impact mass spectra was performed with the databases NIST08.L and Wiley9.L. Results: forty-five compounds were determined from the samples analyzed. More than 90 percent of the relative composition established for each oil corresponds to monoterpenic compounds, mainly camphor and alpha-terpineol. Analysis of the biosynthetic pathways leading to the generation of the main compounds detected in the oils studied, showed that the species from which the oils were obtained exhibit varying degrees of micromolecular evolution. Conclusion: cascarilla and sassafras oils are obtained from plant species at varying stages of chemical evolution. This result constitutes additional evidence of the great biological diversity of the Lauraceae family. The study was conducted with financial support from the Natural Plant Products Laboratory of the Chemistry Department at the National University of Colombia at Bogotá(AU)

The Poisoning Information Database Covers a Large Proportion of Real Poisoning Cases in Korea.

The poisoning information database (PIDB) provides clinical toxicological information on commonly encountered toxic substances in Korea. The aim of this study was to estimate the coverage rate of the PIDB by comparing the database with the distribution of toxic substances that real poisoning patients presented to 20 emergency departments. Development of the PIDB started in 2007, and the number of toxic substances increased annually from 50 to 470 substances in 2014. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with toxic exposure who visited 20 emergency departments in Korea from January to December 2013. Identified toxic substances were classified as prescription drug, agricultural chemical, household product, animal or plant, herbal drug, or other. We calculated the coverage rate of the PIDB for both the number of poisoning cases and the kinds of toxic substances. A total of 10,887 cases of intoxication among 8,145 patients was collected. The 470 substances registered in the PIDB covered 89.3% of 8,891 identified cases related to poisoning, while the same substances only covered 45.3% of the 671 kinds of identified toxic substances. According to category, 211 prescription drugs, 58 agricultural chemicals, 28 household products, and 32 animals or plants were not covered by the PIDB. This study suggested that the PIDB covered a large proportion of real poisoning cases in Korea. However, the database should be continuously extended to provide information for even rare toxic substances.

The Poisoning Information Database Covers a Large Proportion of Real Poisoning Cases in Korea

The poisoning information database (PIDB) provides clinical toxicological information on commonly encountered toxic substances in Korea. The aim of this study was to estimate the coverage rate of the PIDB by comparing the database with the distribution of toxic substances that real poisoning patients presented to 20 emergency departments. Development of the PIDB started in 2007, and the number of toxic substances increased annually from 50 to 470 substances in 2014. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with toxic exposure who visited 20 emergency departments in Korea from January to December 2013. Identified toxic substances were classified as prescription drug, agricultural chemical, household product, animal or plant, herbal drug, or other. We calculated the coverage rate of the PIDB for both the number of poisoning cases and the kinds of toxic substances. A total of 10,887 cases of intoxication among 8,145 patients was collected. The 470 substances registered in the PIDB covered 89.3% of 8,891 identified cases related to poisoning, while the same substances only covered 45.3% of the 671 kinds of identified toxic substances. According to category, 211 prescription drugs, 58 agricultural chemicals, 28 household products, and 32 animals or plants were not covered by the PIDB. This study suggested that the PIDB covered a large proportion of real poisoning cases in Korea. However, the database should be continuously extended to provide information for even rare toxic substances.

Injuries by marine and freshwater stingrays: history, clinical aspects of the envenomations and current status of a neglected problem in Brazil

Stingrays are a group of rays – cartilaginous fish related to sharks – that have whiplike tails with barbed, usually venomous spines and are found around the world, especially the marine species. Despite recent reports of accidents involving these fish, they are not aggressive, reacting only when stepped on or improperly handled. Injuries by stingrays are seldom mentioned by historians, although they have always been present in riverine communities of inland waters and in South American coasts. Indeed, envenomations by stingrays are quite common in freshwater and marine fishing communities. Although having high morbidity, such injuries are neglected because they have low lethality and usually occur in remote areas, which favor the use of folk remedies. In the present review article, historical aspects of injuries caused by stingrays in Brazil and their distribution on the coast of São Paulo state and riverine communities of the North, Midwest and Southeast regions were studied. In addition, other aspects were analyzed such as clinical features, therapeutic methods, preventive measures and trends in occurrence of these accidents in the country, particularly in areas in which freshwater stingrays had not been previously registered, being introduced after breaching of natural barriers.

Acidentes por animais peçonhentos / Envenomation caused by poisonous animals

Säo descritos alguns aspectos da fisiopatologia e os dados fundamentais sobre a clínica e terapêutica dos acidentes provocados por animais peçonhentos mais frequentes na regiäo Sudeste do Brasil. Säo abordados os acidentes por serpentes peçonhentas do gênero Bothrops, Crotalus e Micrurus e os aracnídeos, escorpiöes do gênero Tityus e aranhas dos gêneros Loxosceles e Phoneutria. Quando indicada, a soroterapia antiveneno (SAV) deve ser aplicada intravenosamente, gota a gota, sem diluiçäo, precedida por antihistamínicos (anti-H1 e anti-H2) e corticóides, visando a proteçäo contra possíveis reaçöes de hipersensibilidade e sem que sejam realizados testes cutâneos previamente

Mechanism of action of neurotoxins.

This paper is a summary of studies over the past few years that pertain to animal neurotoxins. These toxins are found throughout the animal kingdom. Homologies exist in the structures of these poisons within classes and point to conservation of active sites throughout evolution. In the case of the peptides, invariant amino acids may be involved in the active site, be essential for maintaining the shape and conformation of the molecule or serve as a fulcrum for folding of the peptide chain after synthesis. At the nuclear or DNA-level, a constant base sequence may regulate gene operation so that only a specific amino acid is coded. Physiologically, and with ultrastructural and biochemical correlation, the predominant mode of action of neurotoxins relate to one or the other of the major activities of the excitable cell,--on conductile activity affecting Na+ or K+ permeabilities, on output or secretory activities affecting the release of neurotransmitter or on in put generator activities affecting the receptor molecules for transmitter themselves. The future of these animal neurotoxins in neurobiological research is secure. The elucidation of molecular mechanisms, by which these various physiological activities of excitable tissue are expressed, will surely involve one or more of these fascinating, naturally-occurring compounds.