Evaluation of the Coagulant Effect of Zanjani and Latifi Viper Snake Venom Endemic in Iran

The venom of the viper is very important in pharmaceutical usage, such as in the process of coagulation during medical care. This study aims to evaluate the coagulant factor of Latifi and Zanjani viper venom. In the current study, after electrophoresis of proteins found in viper venom, all of the thick and strong bands of proteins were isolated and prepared for examination of coagulation characteristics, like pro-thrombin time (PTT) and active partial thromboplastic time (APTT), followed by further study by mass spectroscopy. In this way, 11 bands of proteins were recognized in sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). After PT and APTT tests, one common band in 26 KDa could lead to coagulation of blood plasma in less than one second. Mass spectroscopy identified this band as serine protease isoform4. The results confirmed the coagulation effect of a 26 KDa protein fraction of venom from Latifi and Zanjani vipers.