The almost unknown scorpion fauna (Arachnida: Scorpiones) of El Salvador, Central America

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  The almost unknown scorpion fauna (Arachnida: Scorpiones) of El Salvador, Central America Abstract (EN) The scorpions from Republic of El Salvador, Central America, have been poorly studied. The present work confirms the presence of at least six species in this country: Didymocentrus krausi Francke, 1978 (Diplocentridae), and five species belonging to the genus Centruroides Marx, 1899 (Buthidae), including the first records for Centruroides koesteri Kraepelin, 1911, Centruroides tapachulaensis Hoffmann, 1932, and an unidentified species of the thorellii species-group. Centruroides tapachulaensis had been confused with Centruroides edwardsii (Gervais, 1843), Centruroides gracilis (Latreille, 1804) and Centruroides margaritatus (Gervais, 1841). None of five nominal identified species are Salvadoran endemism. A taxonomical key is included for the identification of these six scorpion species. Most of the new records were made based on available data on the iNaturalist citizen science...

Proteomic analysis of snake venom obtained from Naja melanoleuca in Ghana

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Proteomic analysis of snake venom obtained from Naja melanoleuca in Ghana

Abstract

The venom of most poisonous snakes consists of active proteins that are responsible for most of the lethal effects of snakebite envenomation. To guide the development of targeted antivenom, a deeper understanding of venom compositions is necessary. This study aimed to characterize and analyse the protein composition and evaluate the lethality of Naja melanoleuca venom obtained from Ghana. Crude venom was collected, lyophilized and the protein concentration quantified using the Bradford Assay. The protein profile and molecular weight distribution of the venom were evaluated using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), while reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC-MS) was employed to separate protein fractions and to determine intact protein masses. The venom toxicity was assessed by determining the median lethal dose (LD50) in mice using the probit regression method. The protein concentration of the venom was 2.917 mg/ml, while the SDS-PAGE analysis showed protein bands with estimated molecular weights ranging from 10.98 kDa to 122.53 kDa. The relative abundance of the protein bands from LC-MS suggested that low molecular weight proteins dominated in the venom. The average LD50 of the venom was 1.17 mg/kg within the range of 0.50–1.84 mg/kg, which confirmed its high toxicity. This study provided one of the first proteomic datasets describing Ghanaian Naja melanoleuca venom with baseline information on its protein composition and toxicity. These findings laid the foundation for future proteomic, pharmacological and toxicological investigations in developing antivenoms for improved snakebite management locally.
Firempong, C. K., Etsey, M., Akanfah, C. A., Nsiah, F., Nyamekye, E. N. P., Dogbe, R. E., Ofosu, V., Mensah, Y. Y., Addae, R. K., & Domfeh, S. A. (2026). Proteomic analysis of snake venom obtained from Naja melanoleuca in Ghana. Journal of Chromatography B, 125240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchromb.2026.125240