Animals and Animal Toxins in Traditional and Modern Medicine

Background: Animals and animal toxins have a long-lasting tradition in diverse human cultures all over the world. In addition to medicinal plants, animals are important components of many traditional medicines.
Methods: By using selected examples, we give an overview of animals, animal toxins, and derivatives to illustrate their pharmacological and therapeutic potential and use.
Results: Animals have been used in traditional and modern medicines for treatment purposes. Medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis) are applied for microsurgical operations and for prevention of tissue necrosis due to congestion and insufficient supply of blood capillaries. Patches of blister beetles (Cantharis vesicatoria) have been topically applied in China since centuries against warts and poxvirus-caused molluscum contagiosum.
Snake venoms are a rich source for drug development. Some examples are batroxobin (reptilase) from Bothrops moujeni and B. atrox, and others. Bioactive peptides have also been identified from spider and scorpion venoms such as GsMTx-4 from the Chilean rose Tarantula (Grammostola spatulata) or chlorotoxin from the Yellow Israeli scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus quinquestriatus). Amphibian venoms have frequently been used as arrow poisons by indigenous tribes. The marine biodiversity is also a rich resource for new drugs. A large array of toxins can be found in sea snails. Important examples are ω-conotoxin from Conus purpurascens, contukalin-G from C. geographus, and ACV1 from C. victoriae. Examples among many others are aplidine from Aplidium albicans, pseudopterosin from the Pseudopterogorgia genus, and dolastatin from Dolabella auricularia.
Conclusion: Animals or compounds isolated from snake, spider or scorpion venoms, frog toxins, and toxins from marine organisms reveal astonishing pharmacological activities. Cross-disciplinary approaches between organic and medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, molecular biology, and medicine are required to explore the full potential of animal toxins and their derivatives as important candidates in the drug development pipeline.