A Review on the Fish Venom and Its Bioactive Compounds

Overview

Journal J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis

Date 2016 Dec 30

PMID 28031733

Citations 5

Authors

Fabiana V Campos

Thiago N Menezes

Pedro F Malacarne

Fabio L S Costa

Gustavo B Naumann

Helena L Gomes

Suely G Figueiredo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The most poisonous fish species found along the Brazilian coast is the spotted scorpionfish . Though hardly ever life-threatening to humans, envenomation by can be quite hazardous, provoking extreme pain and imposing significant socioeconomic costs, as the victims may require days to weeks to recover from their injuries. In this review we will walk the reader through the biological features that distinguish this species as well as the current epidemiological knowledge related to the envenomation and its consequences. But above all, we will discuss the challenges involved in the biochemical characterization of the venom and its compounds, focusing then on the successful isolation and pharmacological analysis of some of the bioactive molecules responsible for the effects observed upon envenomation as well as on experimental models. Despite the achievement of considerable progress, much remains to be done, particularly in relation to the non-proteinaceous components of the venom. Therefore, further studies are necessary in order to provide a more complete picture of the venom's chemical composition and physiological effects. Given that fish venoms remain considerably less studied when compared to terrestrial venoms, the exploration of their full potential opens a myriad of possibilities for the development of new drug leads and tools for elucidating the complex physiological processes.

Citing Articles

Histopathological characterization of skin and muscle lesions induced by lionfish () venom in a murine experimental model.

Diaz C, Chang-Castillo A, Ortiz N J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis. 2025; 31:e20240050.

PMID: 39877151 PMC: 11773604. DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2024-0050.

Pulmonary involvement from animal toxins: the cellular mechanisms.

Thumtecho S, Suteparuk S, Sitprija V J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis. 2023; 29:e20230026.

PMID: 37727535 PMC: 10506740. DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2023-0026.

Venomous Bites, Stings and Poisoning by European Vertebrates as an Overlooked and Emerging Medical Problem: Recognition, Clinical Aspects and Therapeutic Management.

Paolino G, Di Nicola M, Avella I, Mercuri S Life (Basel). 2023; 13(6).

PMID: 37374011 PMC: 10305571. DOI: 10.3390/life13061228.

Fish Cytolysins in All Their Complexity.

Campos F, Fiorotti H, Coitinho J, Figueiredo S Toxins (Basel). 2021; 13(12).

PMID: 34941715 PMC: 8704401. DOI: 10.3390/toxins13120877.

The venoms of the lesser () and greater () weever fish- A review.

Gorman L, Judge S, Fezai M, Jemaa M, Harris J, Caldwell G Toxicon X. 2020; 6:100025.

PMID: 32550581 PMC: 7285994. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2020.100025.

References

Khoo H . Bioactive proteins from stonefish venom. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2002; 29(9):802-6. DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-1681.2002.03727.x. View

Borges M, Figueiredo S, Leprevost F, De Lima M, Cordeiro M, Diniz M . Venomous extract protein profile of Brazilian tarantula Grammostola iheringi: searching for potential biotechnological applications. J Proteomics. 2016; 136:35-47. DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2016.01.013. View

Andrich F, Carnielli J, Cassoli J, Lautner R, Santos R, Pimenta A . A potent vasoactive cytolysin isolated from Scorpaena plumieri scorpionfish venom. Toxicon. 2010; 56(4):487-96. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2010.05.003. View

Magalhaes G, Junqueira-de-Azevedo I, Lopes-Ferreira M, Lorenzini D, Ho P, Moura-da-Silva A . Transcriptome analysis of expressed sequence tags from the venom glands of the fish Thalassophryne nattereri. Biochimie. 2006; 88(6):693-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2005.12.008. View

Carrijo L, Andrich F, De Lima M, Cordeiro M, Richardson M, Figueiredo S . Biological properties of the venom from the scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri) and purification of a gelatinolytic protease. Toxicon. 2005; 45(7):843-50. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2005.01.021. View

Faiz M, Falkous G, Harris J, Mantle D . Comparison of protease and related enzyme activities in snake venoms. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol. 1996; 113(1):199-204. DOI: 10.1016/0305-0491(95)02050-0. View

Sarray S, Delamarre E, Marvaldi J, El Ayeb M, Marrakchi N, Luis J . Lebectin and lebecetin, two C-type lectins from snake venom, inhibit alpha5beta1 and alphaV-containing integrins. Matrix Biol. 2007; 26(4):306-13. DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2007.01.001. View

Garnier P, Grosclaude J, Gervat V, Gayral P, Jacquot C, Perriere C . Presence of norepinephrine and other biogenic amines in stonefish venom. J Chromatogr B Biomed Appl. 1996; 685(2):364-9. DOI: 10.1016/s0378-4347(96)00203-4. View

Calvete J, Moreno-Murciano M, Theakston R, Kisiel D, Marcinkiewicz C . Snake venom disintegrins: novel dimeric disintegrins and structural diversification by disulphide bond engineering. Biochem J. 2003; 372(Pt 3):725-34. PMC: 1223455. DOI: 10.1042/BJ20021739. View

10.

Schaeffer Jr R, Carlson R, Russell F . Some chemical properties of the venom of the scorpionfish Scorpaena guttata. Toxicon. 1971; 9(1):69-78. DOI: 10.1016/0041-0101(71)90045-6. View

11.

Cohen A, Olek A . An extract of lionfish (Pterois volitans) spine tissue contains acetylcholine and a toxin that affects neuromuscular transmission. Toxicon. 1989; 27(12):1367-76. DOI: 10.1016/0041-0101(89)90068-8. View

12.

Kilpatrick D . Animal lectins: a historical introduction and overview. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2002; 1572(2-3):187-97. DOI: 10.1016/s0304-4165(02)00308-2. View

13.

Carlson R, Schaeffer Jr R, La Grange R, Roberts C, Russell F . Some pharmacological properties of the venom of the scorpionfish Scorpaena guttata. I. Toxicon. 1971; 9(4):379-91. DOI: 10.1016/0041-0101(71)90137-1. View

14.

Smith W, Wheeler W . Venom evolution widespread in fishes: a phylogenetic road map for the bioprospecting of piscine venoms. J Hered. 2006; 97(3):206-17. DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esj034. View

15.

Haddad Jr V, Alves Martins I, Makyama H . Injuries caused by scorpionfishes (Scorpaena plumieri Bloch, 1789 and Scorpaena brasiliensis Cuvier, 1829) in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (Brazilian coast): epidemiologic, clinic and therapeutic aspects of 23 stings in humans. Toxicon. 2003; 42(1):79-83. DOI: 10.1016/s0041-0101(03)00103-x. View

16.

Church J, Hodgson W . The pharmacological activity of fish venoms. Toxicon. 2002; 40(8):1083-93. DOI: 10.1016/s0041-0101(02)00126-5. View

17.

Ziegman R, Alewood P . Bioactive components in fish venoms. Toxins (Basel). 2015; 7(5):1497-531. PMC: 4448160. DOI: 10.3390/toxins7051497. View

18.

Reckziegel G, Dourado F, Garrone Neto D, Haddad Junior V . Injuries caused by aquatic animals in Brazil: an analysis of the data present in the information system for notifiable diseases. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2015; 48(4):460-7. DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0133-2015. View

19.

Gomes H, Andrich F, Fortes-Dias C, Perales J, Teixeira-Ferreira A, Vassallo D . Molecular and biochemical characterization of a cytolysin from the Scorpaena plumieri (scorpionfish) venom: evidence of pore formation on erythrocyte cell membrane. Toxicon. 2013; 74:92-100. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2013.07.023. View

20.

Garnier P, Breton P, Dewulf C, PETEK F, Perriere C . Enzymatic properties of the stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa Bloch and Schneider, 1801) venom and purification of a lethal, hypotensive and cytolytic factor. Toxicon. 1995; 33(2):143-55. DOI: 10.1016/0041-0101(94)00151-w. View