Journal Article

Oral Acute Toxicity and Genotoxicity of Heteroctenus junceus Scorpion Venom

Díaz‐García, Alexis, Ruiz‐Fuentes, Jenny Laura, Zapata Guajardo, Nicolas, Mejias Medina, Sophia, Ross Skarneo, Christian

2026

Overview

Objective The study evaluates the elemental composition, oral acute toxicity, genotoxicity, and mutagenic potential of Heteroctenus junceus scorpion venom. Methods The elemental composition was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and HPLC‐MS/MS. The acute oral toxicity test was assessed in mice at 300 and 2000 mg/kg. The in vivo micronucleus test was conducted in mice treated with three scorpion venom doses (10, 100, and 1000 mg/kg). Meanwhile, the in vitro micronucleus test was conducted in TK6 cells treated with three scorpion venom doses (1.25, 2.5, and 5 mg/mL). The Ames test followed the OECD guidelines, and various scorpion venom concentrations (0.16, 0.32, 0.63, 1.25, 2.5, 5 mg/mL) were used. Results The elemental analysis of scorpion venom reveals the lowest amino acid and elemental composition levels compared to other species. An LD50 value greater than 2000 mg/kg was obtained in the oral acute toxicity test with transient pathophysiological effects in the liver, lung, and kidney at 300 and 2000 mg/kg. The in vitro micronucleus test showed that the negative control and scorpion venom concentrations did not induce micronuclei in TK6 cells. Meanwhile, the in vivo micronucleus test showed an increase in the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes and a dose‐dependent decrease in erythrocyte count only at doses higher than 100 mg/kg. The Ames reverse mutation test did not show an increase in revertant colonies in the scorpion venom‐treated groups compared to the negative control. Conclusions H. junceus venom has a low toxicological potential. The Heteroctenus junceus scorpion venom is a very popular natural extract used in traditional medicine in Cuba. In clinically relevant experimental settings, scorpion venom does not induce general toxicity or an increase in the frequency of micronucleus formation in erythrocytes. Furthermore, in vitro experimental models demonstrated that scorpion venom does not induce base pair substitutions and/or open reading frame shifting. Therefore, in vitro and in vivo toxicological testing reveal that H. junceus venom has a low toxicological potential.

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc,Wiley
• Subject: acute oral toxicity / Acute toxicity / Administration, Oral / Ames test / Amino acid composition / Amino acids / Animals / Chemical composition / Chromatography / Cytotoxicity / Dose-Response Relationship, Drug / Erythrocytes / Female / Genotoxicity / Heteroctenus junceus scorpion venom / Humidity / Laboratories / Lethal Dose 50 / Male / Mass spectrometry / Metabolism / Mice / Micronuclei / micronucleus test / Micronucleus Tests / Original / Scientific imaging / Scorpion Venoms - chemistry / Scorpion Venoms - toxicity / Scorpions - chemistry / Spectrophotometry / Toxicity / Toxicity Tests, Acute / Venom