Venoms Animal And Microbial Toxins

During the past two decades, research on animal, plant, and microbial toxins has expanded rapidly, and new and exciting information has appeared to clarify both the clinical and therapeutic aspects of intoxication and, even more impor tant, to help us understand more exactly the structure and the mode of action of toxins on a molecular basis. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of toxin research, it is of vital impor tance that workers specializing in its different aspects should make a particular effort to exchange and keep up with new developments in this rapidly-expanding field. This has been one of the main purposes of the series of international meetings that have been held over the past ten years. The increasing interest in the results of toxin research can be explained partly by the growing general preoccupation with pollution and its toxic effects, which means that more anq more specialists in other fields are finding it necessary to keep in touch with current research into naturally occurring toxins. The papers in these volumes were presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Animal, Plant and Microbial Toxins, organized by the Inter national Society on Toxicology, held in Tokyo in September, 1974. The editors have decided to include both original reports and review articles, arranged according to disciplines. Editing has been kept to the minimum necessary for adequate comprehension of the materials.

Toxins: Animal, Plant and Microbial is a collection of materials from the proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on Animal, Plant, and Microbial toxins, held in Costa Rica in August 1976. The book deals with research done on reptiles, arthropods, marine, fresh water, amphibia, plants, bacteria, and multispecies focusing on topics such as biology, anatomy, immunology, bio-chemistry, physiology, and pharmacology. The paper starts with the feeding methods and diet for snakes that will be used for venom collection. Another paper describes the venom apparatus and amount of venom yields of the snake Hydrophiidae. The book also describes the ultrastructure of the skin of the soapfish Grammistes sexlineatus, known to release an irritating substance when threatened or disturbed. One paper presents the effect of toxins derived from the scorpion venom on neuromuscular transmission, while another study describes anti-scorpion serum and antivenin with a corresponding table representing the correct serum dosage. The book then presents a method to use for quantitative separation and analysis of certain mycotoxins that can be present in foodstuffs. One paper also addresses the effects of mycotoxins on immunity levels, such as lowered resistance to diseases, interference with acquired immunity, and changes in antibody production. Chemists, students and professors in organic chemistry, and laboratory technicians whose work is related to pharmacology and toxicology will find this book relevant.

This book series is based on the book "Biogene Gifte", 3. Edition, published 2010 by Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft Stuttgart in German language. Because of the enormous increase in knowledge in the field of natural poisons and venoms the topic is now covered in 5 volumes in English language. The focus of this volume is on the toxic ingredients of animal poisons and venoms, their chemical structures, their effects and modes of actions in target organisms, and on the biology of poisonous or venomous animals. It highlights the symptoms of poisoning or envenoming in humans or animals, cite case reports were available, and gives hints on poisoning prevention and on potential treatments.