Poster prepared Kennedy Lojau Eyaan, Mitchel Otieno Okumu, Luke Kipkorir Bett, Nduhiu Gitahi and James Mucunu Mbaria for the Kenya One Health Online Conference, 6-8 December 2021

1. Antibacterial properties of venom from three medically important snakes in Sub Saharan Africa
Kennedy Lojau Eyaan1*, Mitchel Otieno Okumu1, Luke Kipkorir Bett 1, Nduhiu Gitahi1, and James Mucunu Mbaria1
1Department of Public Health, Pharmacology, and Toxicology, University of Nairobi, P.O Box 29053-00625, Nairobi, Kenya. 2Department of Pharmacy, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and
Referral Hospital, P.O Box 849-40100, Kisumu, Kenya
2Department of Pharmacy, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, P.O Box 849-40100, Kisumu, Kenya
Kennedy Lojau Eyaan
University of Nairobi
Lojaukennedy@gmail.com
www.uonbi.ac.ke
0708145033
Contact 1.S Bustillo,(2008)Antimicrobial activity of Bothrops alternatus venom from the Northeast of Argentina.
2.Fox JW, Serrano SM (2007)toxin derivatives currently involved in therapeutic or diagnostic applications.
3. Konrad Kamil Hus,( 2018) First Look at the Venom of Naja ashei.
4. Screening of antimicrobial activity of veoms of snakes commonly found in Malaysia.
5.Ramar Perumal Samy,(2016)A brief update on potential molecular mechanisms underlying antimicrobial and
wound-healing potency of snake venom molecules
References
Microbes continue to evolve by developing elaborate mechanisms to
circumvent the efficacy or action of the currently available antimicrobial agents
leading to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
➢ New policies and renewed research are therefore urgently required to
mitigate the unfolding crisis of AMR.
Introduction
➢This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of three crude venoms
from Bitis arietans (Puff adder), Naja haje (Egyptian cobra), and Naja pallida
(Red spitting cobra) against gram positive and gram negative bacteria.
Methodology
➢The emergence of antibiotic resistant
microorganisms drives a critical race against
time to reveal new molecular structures
targeting bacteria with new mechanisms of
action to address this alarming global one
health crisis.
➢It has become increasingly clear that new
antimicrobial peptides from natural sources
have attracted the attention in recent years.
➢The importance of bactericidal action exhibited
by snake toxins is not only for a better
understanding of the snakebite envenomation
mechanism, but also due to their
biotechnological potential as model for
therapeutic agents to combat super bugs.
➢ This findings demonstrated that venoms had
antibacterial activities as comparable to
antibiotics and further investigations are
essential to screen for specific molecules
responsible for antibacterial properties.
Discussion
➢Naja haje and Naja pallida venoms exhibit broad
spectrum of activity against both gram positive
and gram negative bacteria but Bitis arietans
venom is ineffective against bacterial pathogens.
➢There is a need to explore which of the
components of N. haje and N. pallida venom is
responsible for the observed antimicrobial
properties.
Conclusions
Results
0
10 Chart Title
Series 1 Series 2 Series 3
➢ Snake venoms from Bioken Farm Watamu were freeze-dried and rereconstituted for use in
the carry out.
➢ Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed using the disc diffusion method with
Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus as gram positive bacteria and Escherichia coli,
Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Salmonella typhi as gram negative bacteria.
➢ Eight antimicrobials were selected for comparison including Aztreonam (30 µg),
Cefpodoxime (10 µg), Cefoxitin (30 µg), Streptomycin (25 µg), Ceftriaxone (30 µg),
Nalidixic acid (30 µg), Tetracycline (30 µg), and Sulfamethoxazole (25 µg).
➢ B. arietans venom was ineffective against all the tested pathogens.
➢ However, B. cereus and S. aureus were more susceptible to N. haje and N. pallida crude
venoms than Aztreonam, Cefpodoxime and Nalidixic acid.
➢ S. typhi was more susceptible to N. haje and N. pallida venoms than Nalidixic acid and
Sulfamethoxazole.
➢ K. pneumoniae was more susceptible to N. haje and N. pallida crude venoms than
Sulfamethoxazole
Objectives
Growth
Zones
Of
Inhibition
(GIZ)
Graphical Abstract
One Health Relevance
The rise of antimicrobial resistance is a global crisis, recognized as one of the greatest
threats to health today.
Diminishing antimicrobial effectiveness represents a formidable threat to human and
animal health and the environment and therefore to overall global development.