Determination of morphological properties of Androctonus crassicauda (Oliver, 1807) scorpion species with scanning electron microscope and biochemical analysis of venom

Androctonus crassicauda, one of the most dangerous species in Buthidae family, is medicinally important species in Middle East. Particularly it is responsible for highest prevalence of scorpion stings in Turkey, of where they locate mostly in South-east Turkey. In this study, Androctonus crassicauda species were collected from Şanlıurfa, and scanning electron microscopy and stereo light microscopy were used for morphological examinations along while biochemical analysis of their venom and venom-mediated gold nanoparticle formation and their applications were studied. Injection of scorpion venom to human can cause systemic inflammation resulted from peptide, free amin, nucleotides, lipids and such other bioactive species contained within the venom. However, selective and targeted usage of the venom content is a strategy against autoimmune and metabolic diseases. Recently it has been shown that utilization of scorpion venom with metallic nanoparticles empower their biological performances and make them proper materials in biosensor and biomedical applications. In the current study, sugar-ligands were used to trigger gold nanoparticle (AuNP) synthesis, where venom proteins served as shape/size directing agent and stabilizing agent. Introduction of venom proteins on AuNPs carries potential to advance their biological effects through enhancing their cell and tissue-based specificity and circulation time. The synthesized AuNPs were characterized with UV-Vis spectrometer for their Surface-plasmon resonance (SPR) properties, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for morphological properties and X-ray Diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) for crystalline character. Due to the fact that proteins' size pose effect on AuNPs size and shape, agarose gel electrophoresis study was done to enlighten the protein sizes of the venom. The test revealed that the proteins were in the sizes of 15 kDa and >180 kDa. The synthesized AuNPs in comparison to the venom itself were tested for its antimicrobial performance (i.e. growth suppression and biofilm formation) using Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella infantis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial strains.