Enzymatic activities of some snake venoms from families Elapidae and Viperidae.

Alkaline phosphomonoesterase, phosphodiesterase, L-amino acid oxidase, hyaluronidase, 5'-nucleotidase, arginine ester hydrolase, phospholipase A2 and proteinase activities were determined in eight snake venoms, including three from sea snake, of families Elapidae and Viperidae from Pakistan. The species includes three sea snakes Hydrophis cyanocinctus, Enhydrina schsitosa, Microcephalophis gracilis gracilis and two land snakes Naja naja naja, Bungarus caeruleus of family Elapidae while three land snakes Vipera russelli russelli, Echis carinatus and Eristocophis macmahoni of family Viperidae. The venoms of family Elapidae are characterized by low levels to traces of proteinase, L-amino acid oxidase and arginine ester hydrolase activities with the exception of Naja naja naja and a moderate to high levels of phospholipase A2 activities. The venoms of family Viperidae, on the other hand, are characterized by the presence of moderate to high levels of 5'-nucleotidase, proteinase, phosphodiesterase and phosphomonoesterase activities.