Snake Venom and Antivenom Pharmacology

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  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...

Functional variations in spider communities across different land-use categories along an elevational gradient in North-Western Indian Himalaya

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Functional variations in spider communities across different land-use categories along an elevational gradient in North-Western Indian Himalaya

Abstract

  1. Land-use change and elevational gradients jointly influence biodiversity and species distribution, yet their concurrent effects on arthropods in the Indian Himalayan Region remain largely undocumented.
  2. Using spiders as a model taxon, this study assesses the parallel influences of elevation (1500–4500-m at 500-m intervals) and land-use categories viz. forests, agricultural lands and human-dominated regions on spider functional diversity in a North-Western Himalayan landscape.
  3. The results show non-general patterns, with significant discrepancies in managed habitats compared to forests, and a higher abundance of synanthropic species in human-dominated regions.
  4. Directional shifts in functional traits are associated with elevational change, with the transition between 3000 and 3500 m emerging as a critical functional and community threshold for Himalayan spider assemblages.
  5. The findings highlight functional variability under simultaneous natural and anthropogenic pressures and raise concerns about habitat homogenization driven by large-scale agro-production in climate-vulnerable Himalayan regions, potentially shifting biodiversity towards new functional regimes.
Sarkar, I. D., Siliwal, M., Dasgupta, S., & Uniyal, V. P. Functional variations in spider communities across different land-use categories along an elevational gradient in North-Western Indian Himalaya. Insect Conservation and Diversity. https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.70062