Bioactive treasures in scorpion exuviae: anticancer insights from Hottentotta saulcyi extract fractions

Posted by
  Bioactive treasures in scorpion exuviae: anticancer insights from Hottentotta saulcyi extract fractions Abstract Despite significant improvements in cancer treatment, the development of therapeutic resistance remains a major cause of treatment failure. Therefore, the discovery of new anticancer agents is still necessary. Scorpions have a long history of use in traditional and specialized medicines, including anticancer applications, and have shown promise in modulating biological processes. They are of medical importance both globally and in the Kurdistan Region. However, there is still limited scientific evidence regarding their potential in cancer therapy. This study evaluated the natural organic compounds of whole-body scorpion extracts using GC–MS analysis and determined the in vitro cytotoxic effects of n-hexane (HO-Hex) and methanol (HO-Me) extracts against SW480, Calu-6, PC-3, HT29, AGS, and LNCaP cancer cell lines. The MTT assay was used to determine the effects of the ex...

DNA Barcoding Supports Species Delimitation in 11 Scorpion (Arachnida: Scorpiones) from Khuzestan Province, Southwestern Iran

Posted by

 


DNA Barcoding Supports Species Delimitation in 11 Scorpion (Arachnida: Scorpiones) from Khuzestan Province, Southwestern Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Accurate identification of scorpion species distributed across different regions is crucial for public education, prevention of scorpion envenomation, and appropriate clinical management. Molecular approaches are increasingly recognized as a reliable means of validating species boundaries. To date, 24 scorpion species belonging to 13 genera and three families have been reported from Khuzestan province, southwest Iran.
Material & Methods: In this study, we investigated the scorpion fauna of Khuzestan Province. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences were generated for five species, and additional sequences, of six species, were obtained from GenBank. A total of 26 COI sequences representing 11 species, nine genera, and two families were used for the reconstruction of Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference.
Results: Phylogenetic analyses supported the validity of 11 previously recorded species described based on morphological characters, including: Androctonus barahoeii, Apistobuthus susanae, Buthacus tadmorensis, Compsobuthus cf. matthiesseni, Hottentotta hatamtiorum, Hottentotta khoozestanus, Hottentotta zagrosensis, Mesobuthus crucittii, Odontobuthus bidentatus, Orthochirus mesopotamicus, and Hemiscorpius lepturus.
Conclusion: Molecular study of scorpions from Khuzestan Province provides valuable data for scorpionism prevention and the development of species-specific antivenoms for medically important scorpions.
Barahoei, H., Behdarvandi, H., Mousazadeh Kotiani, A., Kiarssi Behdarvand, K. (2026). 'DNA Barcoding Supports Species Delimitation in 11 Scorpion (Arachnida: Scorpiones) from Khuzestan Province, Southwestern Iran', Archives of Razi Institute, (), pp. -. doi: 10.66224/ari.2026.373493.4219