Extraction the venom of Rhopilema nomadica from the Persian Gulf coast and the investigation of its hemolytical activity

The Persian Gulf is one of the habitats of different species of jellyfish. Most jellyfish species are venomous. The venom of Rhopilema nomadica jellyfish, which is found in the Persian Gulf, is a compound protein with the effects of neurotoxin, cytolysin and hemolysin. The purpose of this study is the isolation and characterization of R. nomadica venom and the investigation of its hemolytic effects on blood cells.

The R. nomadica was sampled from the tidal zone of the northern coast of Qeshm Island. After it was transferred to a laboratory in Bandar Abbas with an optimized method, the venom was extracted and isolated by the Sephadex G200 chromatography gel. SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis was used to evaluate the molecular weight of its compounds. The lethal dose of the isolated venom was assessed by subcutaneous injection into the mice, and then the hemolytic activity on erythrocytes of different species was evaluated .

R. nomadica venom was isolated from nematocytes by an optimized method, and after determining the protein concentration of 1.7 mg / ml and passing the chromatography column, two peaks were obtained. The molecular weights of 45, 65 and 95 kDa were determined by passing through the SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis. Subsequently, the lethal dose (LD50) was detected, and the rate of activity of the venom was evaluated.

The existence of active compounds in the venom of R. nomadica damages swimmers. The effect of the hemolytic activity of the venom that depends on the concentration of venom and the type of blood cells varies in different species. We showed that RBCs of mice are more susceptible to lysis by the venom than human or sheep RBCs.