IN VIVO STABILIZATION STUDIES ON INDIAN COBRA (NAJA NAJA) VENOM FOR ITS TOXICOLOGICAL ACTIVITY (LD50) IN MICE

Biological/Toxicological activity of Cobra venom (CV) is usually estimated in terms of LD₅₀ which varies at each time of test, when stored in liquid condition at non-native environment, as the CV contains most unstable complex proteins in it. Prepared & stored working solution of cobra venom at 5±3ºC in liquid condition for experimentation without any stabilizing agent, it becomes unstable and show huge variations in LD50 test result (performed on Swiss albino mice, weight: 17-22g). Such variations in biological activity of CV have adverse impact on venom dependent potency test of anti-snake venom sera (ASVS) which has direct commercial value. In this study, working stock solution of CV was prepared in the three different diluent sets (B, C and D) of solutions commonly used in laboratories and stored at 5±3ºC, which was tested for LD₅₀ at pre-defined interval, up to 120 days. Obtain results were statistically calculated for variation from mean value in terms of Standard deviation (SD).The study result indicates that if the working stock solution of CV is prepared, stored at 5±3ºC using solution of SET C and repeatedly used up to 120 days, shows considerably less variations in its toxicological activity (LD₅₀₎ which is beneficial in potency test of ASVS.