ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2021
Biogeographical venom variation in the Indian spectacled cobra (Naja naja) underscores the pressing need for pan-India efficacious snakebite therapy.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
46 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 92 citations in OpenAlex.
- Antivenom preclinical efficacy testing against Asian snakes and their availability in Asia: A systematic review.PloS one · 2023Pooled it
- Role of Regulated Cell Death Pathways in Snakebite Envenomation: Mechanisms, Crosstalk, and Therapeutic Opportunities.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Burden of Mortality and Morbidity Caused by Snakebites Contributes to Economic Loss in a Rural Population in India.Toxins · 2026Article
- Preliminary Insights into Geographic Variation in Venom Profiles and Functional Activities of Nigerian Snakes,Toxins · 2026Article
- Toxicological profiling of venoms from ten major Chinese snakes: a mass spectrometry-based proteomic and multiroute assessment.Archives of toxicology · 2026Article
- Unveiling the nanotoxicology of snake venoms through functional and biochemical characterization of extracellular vesicles from Naja naja and Daboia russelii.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Hiss and tell: What influences venom yields of India's big four snakes?PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Article
- Snakebite envenoming in India: it is time we look beyond the concept of the Big Four species.Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 2025Review
- ExplainingToxins · 2025Article
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- Snake Venom Makeover: Age-Dependent Variations in Procoagulant Biochemistry of Egyptian Saw-Scaled Viper (Toxins · 2025Article
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- Ethnomedicinal breakthroughs in snake bite therapy: From folklore to forefront.Toxicology reports · 2024Review
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- Proteomic Profiling of Venoms fromToxins · 2024Article
- Three finger toxins of elapids: structure, function, clinical applications and its inhibitors.Molecular diversity · 2024Review
- Intraspecific venom variation in the medically important puff adder (Bitis arietans): Comparative venom gland transcriptomics, in vitro venom activity and immunological recognition by antivenom.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024Article
- Tiny but Mighty:Toxins · 2024Article
- Snakebite Management: The Need of Reassessment, International Relations, and Effective Economic Measures to Reduce the Considerable SBE Burden.Journal of epidemiology and global health · 2024Review
- From birth to bite: the evolutionary ecology of India's medically most important snake venoms.BMC biology · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSnake venom composition is dictated by various ecological and environmental factors, and can exhibit dramatic variation across geographically disparate populations of the same species. This molecular diversity can undermine the efficacy of snakebite treatments, as antivenoms produced against venom from one population may fail to neutralise others. India is the world's snakebite hotspot, with 58,000 fatalities and 140,000 morbidities occurring annually. Spectacled cobra (Naja naja) and Russell's viper (Daboia russelii) are known to cause the majority of these envenomations, in part due to their near country-wide distributions. However, the impact of differing ecologies and environment on their venom compositions has not been comprehensively studied.
methodsHere, we used a multi-disciplinary approach consisting of venom proteomics, biochemical and pharmacological analyses, and in vivo research to comparatively analyse N. naja venoms across a broad region (>6000 km; seven populations) covering India's six distinct biogeographical zones.
findingsBy generating the most comprehensive pan-Indian proteomic and toxicity profiles to date, we unveil considerable differences in the composition, pharmacological effects and potencies of geographically-distinct venoms from this species and, through the use of immunological assays and preclinical experiments, demonstrate alarming repercussions on antivenom therapy. We find that commercially-available antivenom fails to effectively neutralise envenomations by the pan-Indian populations of N. naja, including a complete lack of neutralisation against the desert Naja population.
conclusionOur findings highlight the significant influence of ecology and environment on snake venom composition and potency, and stress the pressing need to innovate pan-India effective antivenoms to safeguard the lives, limbs and livelihoods of the country's 200,000 annual snakebite victims.
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