Two new arthropod toxins purified from the venom of the Mexican scorpion Centruroides nigrescens

Posted by
  Two new arthropod toxins purified from the venom of the Mexican scorpion Centruroides nigrescens Abstract The venom of the slender black scorpion Centruroides nigrescens , from the State of Guerrero México, was fractionated by Sephadex G–50 gel filtration, followed by carboxymethyl cellulose ion separation and high–performance liquid chromatography, permitting to obtain two new peptides toxic to arthropods. The estimate LD 50 of the soluble venom for the insect Acheta domesticus was 11.1 μg/g body weight, and for the arthropod Armadillidium vulgare was 61.1 μg body weight . The amino acid sequence of toxin Cnige1 (toxic to A. domesticus and A. vulgare ) contains 65 amino acids, with a molecular mass of 7273.37 mass units, whereas toxin Cnige2, toxic to A. domesticus , contains 68 amino acids, with a molecular mass of 7548.81 units. Both peptides are well packed, containing 8 cysteines, which in the native venoms are forming 4 disulfide bridges each. The amino acid sequences f...

Scorpion Peptides in Antiviral Drug Discovery: An In-depth Review

Posted by

 

Scorpion Peptides in Antiviral Drug Discovery: An In-depth Review

Abstract

Despite remarkable progress in the fields of vaccinology and antiviral therapy, viral infections persist as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Therefore, it is crucial to identify new and effective antiviral drug candidates. Scorpion venoms are viewed as a rich source of structurally diverse and biologically active peptides, which may present opportunities for diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic applications. This review intends to provide a contemporary and detailed analysis of scorpion-derived peptides, with a particular focus on their structural diversity, cytotoxic effects, antiviral properties, and mechanisms of action. Additionally, this paper highlights several potential fruitful areas for future studies. Current evidence indicates that scorpion-derived peptides are effective against a wide array of medically important viral pathogens such as chikungunya virus, dengue virus, enterovirus 71, hepatitis B virus (HBV), herpes simplex virus 1, human immunodeficiency virus 1, influenza A virus (IAV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, and Zika virus. Nevertheless, the majority of these findings have been obtained from in vitro studies, whereas evidence from animal models remains limited and clinical evaluation in humans is currently unavailable. Available studies suggest that these peptides may act through diverse mechanisms of action, including direct virucidal activity, inhibition of viral entry, immune system modulation, reduction of virus-induced cytopathic effects, and suppression of viral gene expression. Emerging evidence also demonstrates the efficacy of certain scorpion-derived peptides in animal models of HBV, IAV, and Newcastle disease virus infection. Overall, such peptides appear to inaugurate new avenues for the treatment of viral infections.

Memariani, M., Memariani, H. Scorpion Peptides in Antiviral Drug Discovery: An In-depth Review. Probiotics & Antimicro. Prot. (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12602-026-11199-0