Open AccessInsects as biological models to assay spider and scorpion venom toxicity
Author(s) -
M. F. Manzoli-Palma,
Nivar Gobbi,
Mário Sérgio Palma
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
the journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1678-9199
pISSN - 1678-9180
DOI - 10.1590/s1678-91992003000200004
Subject(s) - venom , biology , envenomation , scorpion , insect , toxicology , diatraea saccharalis , zoology , lepidoptera genitalia , pharmacology , botany , ecology
This study was undertaken to develop an experimental protocol using insects as biological models to assay venom toxicity of the following spiders Loxosceles gaucho, Phoneutria nigriventer, Nephilengys cruentata and Tityus serrulatus scorpion. Three different insect species were bioassayed: Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera), Grillus assimilis (Orthoptera), and Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera). Venoms were injected into the hemocele of insects with a microsyringe at concentrations that caused dose/weight-dependent effects; doses causing either paralysis (ED50) or death (LD50) were recorded for each venom and insect test-species. T. serrulatus and L. gaucho venoms were lethal to all tested species, while P. nigriventer venom caused paralysis and death, and N. cruentata venom caused only paralysis at the doses assayed. A comparison between the insect test species described above revealed that A. mellifera was highly sensitive to all venoms tested; even a tiny amount of N. cruentata non-lethal venom caused a change in the walking pattern leading to transient paralysis. D. saccharalis larvae were very resistant to all four venoms