Specificity Studies on Phospholipase A2 Inhibitor from Echis ocellatus Serum

The most effective and acceptable therapy for snakebite victims is the immediate administration of antivenin following envenomation which is limited by problems of hypersensitivity reactions in sensitive individuals and its inability to resolve the local effects of the venom. In this study, we report the specificity studies of Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) Inhibitor isolated from Echis ocellatus Serum (PIES) towards snake venom neurotoxic PLA2 and non-toxic mammalian secretory PLA2. Membrane stabilizing and protective ability of PIES was recorded by its potential to reduce hemolysis due to venom PLA2 from 81.20% to 35.30% in vitro. Coagulant potentials of PIES were also seen in its ability to restore plasma coagulation time to less than a minute. Interestingly, PIES does not affect the enzymatic activity of mammalian secretory PLA2 but strongly inhibits PLA2 activity of Echis ocellatus (carpet viper) in this study. The present study shows that PIES holds a good promise for the development of novel antivenin drug in future.