Abstract
Background: Venoms of the family Viperidae in particular are complex mixture of many substances. They include many different proteins that possess significant bactericidal inhibition. Objectives: The aim of the current work was to investigate the antibacterial profile of Sahara sand viper (Cerastes vipera) snake venom against both gram negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa and gram-positive bacteria Bacillus cereus. Materials and Methods: 1. Identification of the venom was performed using assessment of total protein, determination of the venom protein by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and determination of the half lethal dose (LD50) of venom. 2. Antibacterial activities of Cerastes vipera venom was examined by using disc diffusion method. Microdilution method was used to determine the venom's minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). 3. The interaction between venom and bacteria was examined by Electron microscope. Results: The total protein of the venom was 1.047±0.1 mg/ml. The SDS electrophoresis showed there were four clear bands of protein nearly at 25, 35, 48, 63 Kds and another band betweee 25, and 35 Kds. The LD50 was 18.3 µg/mouse (0.915 mg/kg body weight). Concerning the antibacterial effect of tested venom, disc diffusion test showed a ring of inhibition zone of about 12 mm in the case of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and of about 0.8 mm in the case of Bacillus cereus. The Microdilution test showed that the MIC of the venom for Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 12.5 mg/ml and that for Bacillus cereus was 25 mg/ml. The electron microscopic examination supported the two previous tests, as it observed the presence of elongated, malformed, melted, no-membranous and lysed bacterial cells when treated by the venom. Conclusion: It could be concluded that Cerastes vipera venom is a potentially weak bactericidal, but can inhibit antibiotic-resistant bacteria as Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
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