Bioprospection of mucus and venom of marine stingray Dasyatis americana

Abstract

Freshwater stingrays are responsible for major accidents in riverside communities, accidents have varied degrees of severity, however, serious events such as necrosis have significant impact in case of accident. As a result, the study of pathophysiological processes and molecules involved in the poisoning has become a goal for scientific research. Some studies have reported the isolation and characterization of molecules that participates in the poisoning as well as structures with pharmacological potential. Marine stingrays generally have accident reports, however, little is known about poisoning mechanisms, a fact that also extends to the chemical composition of their secretions. In Brazil, the reporting of accidents involving marine stingrays is very minimal, and little is known about the actions and composition of their secretions. Some scientific studies demonstrate pharmacological activities derived from extracts of various marine stingrays of other countries, such as antimicrobial, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and fibrinogenolytic. Based on this context, this project aims to investigate the chemical composition of mucus and venom of the marine stingray Dasyatis americana, as well as to assess the biotechnological potential of molecules found.