Bioactive peptides from scorpion venoms: therapeutic scaffolds and pharmacological tools

Invertebrate venoms: A treasure trove of bioactive compounds with anticancer potential

Invertebrate venoms, despite their inherent toxicity, represent a promising source of bioactive compounds with significant anticancer properties. Historically, traditional medicines in Asia, Africa, and other regions have utilized these venoms to treat a variety of diseases, particularly those derived from scorpions, bees, wasps, and cone snails. Contemporary research has illuminated their therapeutic potential, especially in oncology. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that specific toxins from these venoms can inhibit tumor cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, and restrict metastasis. The anticancer efficacy of invertebrate venoms is primarily attributed to their capacity to selectively target malignant cells while minimizing adverse effects on healthy tissues. In addition, bioactive compounds extracted from certain invertebrate venoms exhibit selective cytotoxicity against various cancer cell lines and can inhibit enzymes critical to tumor progression, thereby impeding the invasion and dissemination of cancerous cells. The increasing interest in the application of invertebrate venoms in cancer therapy has spurred further investigations into their therapeutic potential. This review critically evaluates recent scientific advancements concerning the anticancer properties of bioactive molecules derived from invertebrate venoms, elucidating their mechanisms of action and efficacy across different cancer types. We emphasize their potential as viable alternatives or adjuncts to conventional therapies, which are often constrained by their associated toxicity.

Emerging therapeutic applications of scorpion venom peptides in the Middle East and North Africa: A comprehensive review

The predominantly arid and semi-arid climate, with high temperatures and vast desert areas in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, creates a favorable environment for scorpions, resulting in diversity of species of different genera. Animal venom, particularly scorpion venom, poses a health risk to victims who are envenomed. However, its abundance of bioactive protein molecules also makes it a promising source for new drug development. Numerous studies worldwide have revealed that venom-based molecules exhibit diverse therapeutic activities, including anticancer, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anti-hypertensive, immunomodulatory, and analgesic properties. Researchers from MENA region are also actively contributing to this global challenge. In this review, we will explore the abundance and diversity of scorpions in the MENA region and examine recent studies on the therapeutic activities of molecules extracted from their venom. Nonetheless, additional research is needed to address the challenges of developing effective natural drugs from scorpion venom.

Antimicrobial Potential of Scorpion-Venom-Derived Peptides

The frequent and irrational use of antibiotics by humans has led to the escalating rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with a high rate of morbidity-mortality worldwide, which poses a challenge to the development of effective treatments. A large number of host defense peptides from different organisms have gained interest due to their broad antibacterial spectrum, rapid action, and low target resistance, implying that these natural sources might be a new alternative to antimicrobial drugs. As important effectors of prey capture, defense against other animal attacks, and competitor deterrence, scorpion venoms have been developed as important candidate sources for modern drug development. With the rapid progress of bioanalytical and high throughput sequencing techniques, more and more scorpion-venom-derived peptides, including disulfide-bridged peptides (DBPs) and non-disulfide-bridged peptides (NDBPs), have been recently identified as having massive pharmacological activities in channelopathies, pathogen infections, and cancer treatments. In this review, we summarize the molecular diversity and corresponding structural classification of scorpion venom peptides with antibacterial, antifungal, and/or antiparasitic activity. We also aim to improve the understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which scorpion-venom-derived peptides exert these antimicrobial functions, and finally highlight their key aspects and prospects for antimicrobial therapeutic or pharmaceutical application.

Profiling the Linear Peptides of Venom from the Brazilian Scorpion Tityus serrulatus: Structural and Functional Characterization

Scorpion venoms are a rich source of bioactive peptides, most of which are neurotoxic, with 30 to 70 amino acid residues in their sequences. There are a scarcity of reports in the literature concerning the short linear peptides found in scorpion venoms. This type of peptide toxin may be selectively extracted from the venom using 50% (v/v) acetonitrile. The use of LC-MS and MS/MS enabled the detection of 12 bioactive short linear peptides, of which six were identified as cryptides. These peptides were shown to be multifunctional, causing hemolysis, mast cell degranulation and lysis, edema, pain, and anxiety, increasing the complexity of the envenomation mechanism. Apparently, the natural functions of these peptide toxins are to induce inflammation and discomfort in the victims of scorpion stings.