Anticancer, antimicrobial, and analgesic activities of spider venoms.

Spider venoms are complex mixtures composed of a variety of compounds, including salts, small organic molecules, peptides, and proteins. But, the venom of a few species is dangerous to humans. High levels of chemical diversity make spider venoms attractive subjects for chemical prospecting.

Anti-proliferative Effects of Scorpion and Snake Venoms on Human Prostate Cancer Cells.

The present study evaluated the effects of scorpion venom, snake venom and their mixture on prostate cancer cells (PC3). An MTT assay was used to determine the anti-proliferative effect of the venoms, while quantitative real time PCR was used to evaluate the expression of apoptosis-related genes ( and ). Furthermore, colorimetric assays were used to measure the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidant enzymes.