Crotoxin from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom: In vitro cytotoxic activity of a heterodimeric phospholipase A on human cancer-derived cell lines.

Crotoxin (CTX), a heterodimeric phospholipase present in venom of snakes of the genus Crotalus, has demonstrated a broad spectrum of pharmacological properties, such as antimicrobial, hemostatic, and antitumoral. However, the precise mechanism of its cytotoxicity and antitumoral properties remains to be determined. Therefore, in the present study, we isolated crotoxin (F1 CTX) through two steps DEAE-Sepharose and Heparin-Sepharose FF chromatography.