EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON VENOM OF BUNGARUS CAERULEUS(INDIAN COMMON KRAIT).

The snakes are present all over the world. They have a well-developed venom apparatus tocatch a prey. The venom is mainly composed of proteins and enzymes. Any physical or chemical gradient that influences the function or structure of proteins by denaturing its shape or by rearrangement of the functional group, brings total change in the action of the enzymatic protein. The catalytic activity of the enzyme is hindered or stopped at high temperature. As the Indian common krait venom is very lethal and the antivenomagainst it is raised in animals who in return have to suffer for serving humanity because the local reactions at the site of inoculation are found. In the present study, the venom is subjected to various temperature gradients and the effect on reduction of toxicity while retaining immunogenecity is observed by invivo in mice and in vitro by gel diffusion. It was found that the venom turns totally non-toxic at 22°C and 37°C when stored for 28 days, but immunogenicity of the venom is reduced too. At temperature 0°C, 4°C, 8°C, the venom retained both toxicity and immunogenicity even if stored for 28 days.