Biological activity of crude venom from the crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci.

Abstract

The crude venom (protein concentration 9640μg/ml) was extracted with buffered saline from the spines of the crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci and assayed for some biological activities. The venom was lethal to mice when administered intraperitoneally and the LD50 was determined to be 2.7mg/kg. In addition to the hemolytic activity against animal erythrocytes in the absence of lecithin, much higher activity was observed in the presence of lecithin, suggesting that the venom contains both direct hemolytic factor(s) and indirect hemolytic factor(s) (phospholipase A). The edema-forming, capillary permeability-increasing and hemorrhagic activities were all positive; the venom dose causing a 130% of the edema ratio in mouse foot, this causing a 10-mm blue spot in rat skin and this again causing a 10-mm hemorrhagic spot, were 9.0, 5.3 and 120μg, respectively. Moreover, histological observations showed qualitatively that the venon induced severe necrosis in mouse skeletal muscle.