Abstract
Present review article explains ant venom components and its allergic and biological effects in man and animals. Red ants or small fire ants secrete and inject venom very swiftly to defend their nest against predators, microbial pathogens, and competitors and to hunt the prey. Ant venom is a mixture of various organic compounds, including peptides, enzymes, and polypeptide toxins. It is highly toxic, allergic, invasive and venomous. It imposes sever paralytic, cytolytic, haemolytic, allergenic, pro-inflammatory, insecticidal, antimicrobial, and pain-producing pharmacologic activities after infliction. Victims show red ring-shaped allergic sign with regional swelling marked with intense pain. Ant venom also contains several hydrolases, oxidoreductases, proteases, Kunitz-like polypeptides, and inhibitor cysteine knot (ICK)-like (knottin) neurotoxins and insect defensins. Ant venom toxins/proteins generate allergic immune responses and employ eosinophils and produce Th2 cytokines, response. These compounds from ant venom could be used as a potential source of new anticonvulsants molecules. Ant venoms contain many small, linear peptides, an untapped source of bioactive peptide toxins. The remarkable insecticidal activity of ant venom could be used as a promising source of additional bio-insecticides and therapeutic agents.
Highlights
Ants represent a taxonomically diverse group of hymenopterans with over 13,000 extant species, the majority of which inject or spray secretions from a venom gland
Ants is mostly due to the unique eusociality that has permitted them to develop complex collaborative strategies, partly involving their venom secretions, to defend their nest against predators, microbial pathogens, ant competitors, and to hunt immobilize or kill prey for food, Ant venom contains a range of activities including antimicrobial, haemolytic, cytolytic, paralytic, insecticidal and pain-producing pharmacologies
Similar antibacterial activity is reported in synthetic fire ant venom alkaloids trans-2methyl-6-(cis-6-pentadecenyl)piperidine against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in vitro (Jouvenaz et al, 1972)
Summary
Ants represent a taxonomically diverse group of hymenopterans (formicidae) with over 13,000 extant species, the majority of which inject or spray secretions from a venom gland. Ant venom contains a range of activities including antimicrobial, haemolytic, cytolytic, paralytic, insecticidal and pain-producing pharmacologies. The present review explains ant venom toxins from various species, its composition, allergic and toxic effects with important biological activity and therapeutic use.
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