Análisis comparativo de la actividad hemolítica entre las subespecies Crotalus molossus y Crotalus molossus nigrescens

Blacktailed rattlesnake ( Crotalus molossus ) has four subspecies distributed in Mexico; two of them are distributed in Chihuahua. Literature shows that few studies have been done in order to analyze the composition of their venom. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate protein content and hemolytic damage by agarose-human erythrocyte substrate between the  Crotalus molossus nigrescens and  Crotalus molossus molossus subspecies. Mann Whitney’s nonparanteric test was used in order to get the statistics analysis at an IC95. Protein concentration of  Crotalus m. nigrescens was 466 ± 35.0 mg mL -1 and Crotalus m. molossus of 449 ± 90.0 mg mL -1 there was no statistical difference detected at IC 95 (p>0.05). The protein profile of the venom of Crotalus m. nigrescens showed two protein bands with elevated masses approximately 230 kDa in comparison with  Crotalus m. molossus that was of 16 kDa approximately.  Crotalus m. nigrescens’s venom was 18 % more hemolytic (156.7±23.33 UHD) than  Crotalus m. molossus’s (128±23.32 UHD) at the first hour and 20 % more hemolytic at the second hour, with UHD values of 116.7 ± 12.3 and 94 ± 9.8, respectively. The venom of the two subspecies did not show differences statistically at an IC 95 at the first hour (p>0.05) and second hour (p>0.05). It could be concluded that two subspecies samples showed iqual proteomic characteristics. These differences can be attributed to the different eating habits due to the altitude, geographical distribution and the season. It can also be concluded that more investigation regarding venom of rattlesnakes is needed.