Scorpion Venom is the most expensive liquid in the world which cost $38,858,507.46 per gallon. By using the venom, Scorpions hunt their prey and also fight with predators. You may find it deadly and poisonous but interestingly few are dangerous for human. There are nearly 2,000 species around the world among which only about 30 or 40 percent have a poison potent for human.
Extraction of Venom from Scorpions is very hard process and is called Milking. A single scorpion venom extraction only provide 0.5 mgs. The most popular extraction method is electrical stimulation which electrically stimulats the scorpion to release the venom. Another method is puncturing the venom gland or abdominal removal which is harmful for the insect.
Scorpion’s venom used as traditional medicine for thousands of years in China, India and Africa. The venom is complex mixture of salts, nucleotides, biogenic amines, enzymes, mucoproteins, as well as peptides and proteins.
Recently it has discovered that the scorpion venom and toxins contains anticancer properties which has potential to decrease cancer growth. The venom is a wonder in modern medicine for its abundant antimicrobial agents. It is also called the “Cocktail of bioactive compounds”.
A new drug Vidatox developed from the blue scorpion toxin which belongs anti-cancer activity and tested on more than 65,000 cancer patients. The Cuban drug maker Labiofam discovered the drug which took 15 years to get. The Mexican Demetrio Rodríguez Fajardo discovered a protein in the scorpion venom to treat and cure breast cancer.
Scorpion venom contains a type of protein that can treat pain from various illnesses such as Multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Only a small doses of scorpion venom can be effective for the treatment.
However, due broader effectiveness, rich mixture and complicated extraction, scorpion venom demand is increasing day by day. More research is indeed to explore its unknown wonders.
