Snake Venom and Antivenom Pharmacology

Posted by
  SNAKE VENOM & ANTIVENOM Chemistry, Composition, Mechanisms and Pharmacology Abstract This integrated teaching session for Phase III MBBS students focused on the pharmacology and toxicology of snake venom and the principles of antivenom therapy. The lecture covered the chemistry, composition, mechanisms of action, and pharmacological effects of snake venoms and antivenoms. Rational use of antivenoms, indications, administration protocols, adverse reactions, and supportive management strategies were discussed. The session also highlighted the translational importance of venom-derived compounds in modern drug development. Recent advances in antivenom research, including recombinant human monoclonal antibodies, toxin-specific inhibitors, synthetic antibody technologies, and next-generation broad-spectrum antivenoms, were reviewed. Current discoveries and emerging approaches aimed at improving efficacy, safety, affordability, and accessibility of antivenom therapy were also explor...

Accessing the challenges of descriptive morphology in Barychelidae and Theraphosidae through a morphometric approach (Araneae, Mygalomorphae)

Posted by

 


Accessing the challenges of descriptive morphology in Barychelidae and Theraphosidae through a morphometric approach (Araneae, Mygalomorphae)

Abstract

Phylogenetic studies have confirmed that Barychelidae is a sister group of Theraphosidae. However, taxonomic instability has led to the transfer of genera between the two families, both families show overlapping diagnostic characteristics, indicating a similarity making species differentiation challenging. In this study, we conducted an evaluation of three morphological characters that are commonly used to distinguish Barychelidae and Theraphosidae. We employed geometric morphometric to analyze variations in the shapes of the maxilla, labium, and the eyes arrangement. Our results revealed that these characters show continuous variation, which can make it problematic for discrete categorization and differentiation between Barychelidae and Theraphosidae. On the other hand, our analysis showed that the shape of the eye arrangement is effective in distinguishing the subfamilies within Barychelidae. Furthermore, we found notable distinctions between these characters on the Neotropical Sasoninae genera compared to the Sason Simon, 1887. Therefore, highlights the importance of incorporation of morphometric analyses into taxonomic and cladistics studies to improve the understanding of distinctions between families that are considered as sister groups.

Hector M. O. GONZALEZ-FILHO, Maria T. COLPANI-SARTORI, Arthur GALLETI-LIMA et al. Accessing the challenges of descriptive morphology in Barychelidae and Theraphosidae through a morphometric approach (Araneae, Mygalomorphae), 30 January 2026, PREPRINT (Version 1) available at Research Square [https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8385809/v1]