CAPTIVITY CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE Tityus serrulatus VENOM EXTRACTION

CANDIDO D.M. (1,3), KNYSAK I. (1), LUCAS S.M. (1) & BÁRBARO K.C. (2,3)

(1) Lab. Arthropods; (2) Lab. Immunopathology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP; (3) Program of Post Graduation of Coord. of Control of Diseases of S. Paulo State.

Tityus serrulatus is responsible for the majority of severe cases of scorpion envenoming in Brazil. The Laboratory of Arthropods keeps a scorpion bioterium with the purpose of obtaining venom for antivenom production. The present study aims to determine which are the best captivity conditions, as well as the frequency and interval between venom extractions. Two hundred T. serrulatus specimens were divided in 4 groups (A, B, C and D) of 50 individuals each. A: animals not to be extracted; B, C and D extracted by electric stimulation every 30, 60 and 90 days, respectively. After 13 months of extraction, all groups had similar mortality indices (around 40%). Venom quantity averages, decreased significantly (58%) in the animals of group B, from 0.41 mg (1st month) to 0.17 mg (13th month) per animal. In Group C, the amount of venom obtained, ranged from 0.38 mg (1st month) to 0.18 mg (13th month). No decrease in venom quantity was observed in Group D. By the end of the study, group B (12 extractions) produced a total amount of 116.4 mg of dry venom, group C (7 extractions) 79.5 mg and group D (5 extractions) 75.7 mg, representing an average of 9.7 mg, 11.4 mg and 15.1 mg of poison per extraction, respectively. Different protocols do not affect scorpion survival. In case of a continuous flow of animals for this purpose, they can be extracted every month and be substituted 6 months later, when the extraction becomes unproductive. If there is no continuous flow of animals for extraction, is is recommendable to keep them in captivity for one year maximum, and extract each animal every 3 months.

KEY WORDS: captivity, Tityus serrulatus, venom, extraction.

CORRESPONDENCE TO: Denise M. Candido, Laboratory of. Arthropods, Butantan Institute, Avenida Vital Brasil, 1500, São Paulo, Brasil. Phone: 055XX11. 37267222 .R 2235. Email: denisecandido@butantan.gov.br