Among the creatures living on earth, the snake is an animal that has always been a part of human history, where it is seen as a mysterious creature. In some places it is considered a normal reptile, and in some places it is killed as a vermin.

There are more or less three thousand species of snakes found in the world, of which only twenty percent are poisonous. If seen, this number is very small. Only one-third of these poisonous snakes are snakes that can harm a person with their poison.

The Science Behind Snake Venom

Man's inquisitive nature and habit of exploration have led him to understand this poisonous liquid inside the snake and to use the elements inside it in various ways. This is the reason why research has been done on the poison obtained from different types of poisonous snakes in the world.

One family of snakes includes cobra, krait, taipan, etc., while the other family is viper snakes. A cobra or a snake of its family usually exhibits paralyzing effects on the heart and mind, in which suffocation is immediately felt.

On the other hand, the venom of a viper snake targets the blood of its victim and completely paralyzes the blood's ability to clot, flow, or both. Snake venom consists of 90 to 95 percent nutrients or protein. These proteins are equipped with about 25 different enzymes, or 30 to 100 different toxins.

Snake Types in Pakistan

These are the components of snake venom that cause the effect of any snake bite. If we talk about Pakistan, 97% of the different types of snakes are found, of which about 30 are inland and coastal species are poisonous. Four of the venomous snakes found on land are the snakes with the highest incidence of bites. These include the Cobra, Russell's Viper, Saskatchewan Viper, and Krait.

Various research papers have been published in Pakistan and outside Pakistan on the venom obtained from these four snakes. The research conducted at the University of Karachi's Proteomics Center includes the venoms of three out of four snakes, i.e., cobra, krait, and susked viper.

Since cobras and kraits belong to the same family, they generally have venoms full of toxins that affect the body's nervous system and respiratory system, while sasquatch viper's venom contains enzymes that damage the blood system. They have been found in large numbers. The amount of toxin, however, was found to be less than the venom of cobra or krait. In general, poisons that destroy the nervous and respiratory systems are considered more lethal.

Venom Affects on Humans

On the other hand, poisons that disturb the blood system, though not very fatal, damage the muscles and blood vessels, due to which the patient sometimes does not fully recover. It is important to mention here that venomous snakes have needle-like teeth on both sides of their upper jaws in their mouths, which are very important in capturing the venom and transferring it inside the body. This is the reason that the marks of these teeth on the body of any living thing are considered to be the first sign of a poisonous snake bite.

Medicinal Uses of Snake Venom

Also, work has been going on to destroy the poisonous components in snake venom and to make their antidote; on the other hand, these components are also being used for treatment and diagnosis. It may seem strange that the ingredients in snake venom can be used to treat or diagnose a disease. Now let's take a look at this angle of research.

First, let's talk about a drug called capoten. This drug is used to treat high blood pressure. Often this medicine is placed under the tongue in the patient's mouth to prevent heart attacks.

This drug is originally extracted from the protein found in the venom of a viper snake in Brazil. After identifying the active component of the venom protein, this drug was chemically prepared by copying it, which is now available all over the world.

Similarly, if small pieces of blood in the blood vessels begin to clot by themselves. So this condition can also cause a heart attack. Two snake venom drugs have also been developed for the treatment of this disease; one known as Agrastat was originally chemically created by copying the amino acid sequence derived from the venom protein of the salicid viper.

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The second drug is derived from Florida viper snake venom, called integrin. Apart from these few examples, other enzymes in the venom of various snakes are also being used for treatment, such as the enzyme in the venom of a viper snake found in South America to heal a physical wound. This enzyme helps in blood clotting and helps to stop bleeding and heal wounds during various surgical procedures.

Venom in Disease Diagnosis and Research

Apart from these, there are many other herbs that have been extracted from snake venom and are undergoing various stages to be made into medicine. If we talk about blood diseases, one of them that is hereditary is called thrombomyophilia.

In this disease, the blood keeps clotting in small pieces in the blood vessels. A protein obtained from the venom of a viper snake is used to diagnose this disease. Hemophilia A and Van Willibrand disease are prone to bleeding. The protein obtained from snake venom is also used in the diagnosis of this disease.

The toxins found in snake venom are also used in the laboratory to study and better understand the nervous system and its cells. Each toxin interacts with a receptor on a specific type of cell. That shows the presence of these receptors in different brain cells.

Similarly, it helps to read and understand different attitudes and emotions. These various experiments are routinely performed in numerous research laboratories around the world, particularly where the behavioral sciences are taught.

Snake Venom Research Future in Pakistan

Although snake venom has gained its place in the field of medicine, it still holds many secrets. Research on snake venom in Pakistan is still very basic. However, some of the venomous snakes found in Pakistan are endemic only to Pakistan. These include the krait snake found in Sindh and the spotted viper found in the Nushki region of Balochistan.

Basic work has been done on the venom of these snakes; now the second phase of this research is to evaluate the biological function of the component in the venom. As a result of this research, there is a strong possibility that some new venoms will be identified due to the difference in the level of components in the venom caused by a different type of snake, which will itself become the basis of future research.

Several research projects in this regard have been started in their initial stages. There is a need to complete these projects. From the description given above, it can be well understood that the lymphites present in snake venom have a unique utility.

Conclusion

Where man has discovered the treatment of his various diseases from herbs. In the same way, he has devised a plan to cure many medical disorders from the knowledge of animal poisons. With modern technology and powerful instruments, which were never available before, this research work is reaching ten milestones at a fast pace.

It can be hoped that in the near future, many more therapeutically relevant rare molecules or molecules will be discovered that will help to rapidly improve the quality of human life after the disease.