A short review of different types of animal poisons that we can encounter in our daily life and possess forensic importance.

1. FS 332 SEMINAR
NAME – DIVYA YADAV
M.SC FORENSIC SCIENCE (3rd SEM)

2.  ANYTHING IN EXCESS IS POISON.
 POISON IS ANY SUBSTANCE (SOLID,LIQUID,GAS) WHICH IF ASSIMILATED
IN THE BODY OR BROUGHT INTO CONTACT WITH ANY PART
THEREOF,WILL LEAD TO DETERIORATION OF HEALTH OR MAY
EVENTUALLY LEAD TO DEATH BY ITS CONSTITUTIONAL OR
EFFECT.

3. 1. NOXIOUS GASES
2. VOLATILES - a) volatile organic , b) volatile inorganic
3. NON- VOLATILES INORGANIC - a) cations b) anions
4. NON VOLATILES ORGANIC NEUTRAL COMPOUNDS
5. NON VOLATILES ORGANIC ACIDIC COMPOUNDS
6. NON VOLATILES ORGANIC BASIC COMPOUNDS
7. PLANT POISONS
8. MISCELLANEOUS POISONS – a) mechanical poisons b) food poisons
c)animals /insect poisons d) water soluble compounds

4.  Venomous or poisonous animals (excluding birds) and insects are capable
to deliver toxins during biting or stinging. They produce the toxins in
highly developed secretory glands or group of cells or the by-product of
metabolism. On the contrary, poisonous animals or insects whose tissues
are toxic in part or full do not possess any poisons delivery system.
Poisoning occurs by ingestion only.

5.  These toxins vary considerably in their chemistry and toxicology.
Venoms, for instance, may be composed of proteins of both large
and small molecular weight including polypeptides and enzymes.
They may be amines, lipids, steroids, amino polysaccharides,
quinones, 5-HTglycosides or other substances. Among all of
poisonous insect and animals, cantharides, snakes and scorpions are
of medico-legal importance.

6.  MOST POPULAR SPECIES OF SPIDERS FOUND IN INDIA ARE Tiger Spiders –
Scytodidae , Tetragnathid Spider , Mygalomorph Spiders , Jumping
Spiders – Salticidae , Wolf Spider – Lycosidae, Signature Spiders –
Araneidae , Crab Spiders – Thomisidae, – Nephila Pilipes , Fishing Spiders
– Pisauridae, Widow Spider – Theridiidae . Widow Spiders from family
Theridiidae are large family of spiders, found throughout the world.
Widow Spiders are venomous species of spiders and particularly harmful
to humans,

7.  Black widow spiders are infamous for their neurotoxic venom, which can
cause extreme and long-lasting pain. This unusual venom is dominated
by latrotoxins and latrodectins, two protein families.
 Spider venoms are complex mixtures of neurotoxic peptides, proteins
and low molecular mass organic molecules. Their neurotoxic activity is
due to the interaction of the venom components with cellular receptors,
in particular ion channels.

8. CANTHARIDES:
The Spanish fly (Lytta vesicatoria) is an emerald-
green beetle in the blister beetle family (Meloidae). It and
other such species were used in preparations offered by
traditional apothecaries, often referred to
as Cantharides or Spanish fly. The insect is the source of
the terpenoid cantharidin, a toxic blistering agent once used as
an aphrodisiac.

9.  Active Principle:
 The active principle is cantharidin, the anhydride or lactone of
cantharidic acid, which is a colourless crystalline solid. It is freely
soluble in alcohol, chloroform, acetone and fixed oils.
 Cantharidin is a powerful vesicant and may be administered in the form
of powdered beetles or the tincture or active principle. It is also used as
an aphrodisiac or an abortificient or a counter irritant to the skin in the
blistering plaster or a promoter in the growth of hair. Cantharidin is a
nephrotoxic or kidney poison and is readily absorbed from all surfaces
including the skin.

10.  There are about 2500 species of snakes in the world predominantly in
the warm climates. Of the 216 species of snakes found in India, only 25
species are poisonous. The poisonous snakes normally belong to two
families viz. colubridae or colubrine snakes (King cobra Krait and sea
snakes) and viperiadae or viper snakes (Russel’s viper and Echis carinata
or saw scaled viper).

11.  Active Constituents of Venom:
 The venoms of snakes are complex mixtures containing a number of
toxic substances and enzymes. In fresh state, it is a clear transparent,
amber tinted fluid and dries into a yellow granular mass that retains its
activity for many years. The venoms contain toxalbumins and several
toxic principles such as fibrinolysins, proteolysins, neurotoxins,
haemolysins, thromboplastins (predominant in viper venom), agglutinins,
cardiotoxins and enzymes viz. cholinestearase (predominant in colubrine
snake venoms), coagulase and hyaluronidase etc
 . A toxalbumin is a toxic protein, which causes agglutination and lysis of
the red cells even in great dilution. It is antigenic in nature and capable
of producing specific antitoxin (antibody) when injected into the body.

12. 4) SCORPIONS:
There are about 500 species of venomous scorpions. But
only a few of these are dangerous to human. Scorpions have
a crab-like appearance with a long fleshy, five-segmented
tail like post abdomen ending in a broad sac and prominent
hollow string which communicates by means of a duct with
the venom secreting gland

13.  The venom of scorpion consists of a mixture of toxalbumins which exert
haemolytic and neurotoxic action and the death is normally anaphylactic
in nature. Its toxicity is worse than that of snakes but fortunately a
small quantity is injected only by it. The death due to scorpion stings is
rarely found compared to snake bite.

15.  bee venom is a bitter, colorless liquid. It is a complex mixture of
enzymes and peptides. Enzymes in the bee venom include phospholipase
A2, phospholipase B, hyaluronidase, phosphatase and α-glucosidase. In
addition, bee venom contains peptides such as melittin, apamin, mast
cell degranulating peptide, adolapin, tertiapin, secapin, melittin F and
cardiopep.

16. 6) ANTS:
Ants are common insects, but they have some unique capabilities.
More than 10,000 known ant species occur around the world.
They are especially prevalent in tropical forests, where they may
be up to half of all the insects living in some locations.
Species of ants foiund in india are Red ant, Fire ant, Pharoah
ant, Weaver ant, Green tree ant, Harvester ant, Grassland ant,
Carpenter ant, Flying ants, The red ant of India is one of the
dangerous ant, it leave a small red mark and painful irritation.

17.  Ant venoms have been found to contain an extraordinary diversity of
toxins and other types of molecules including salts, sugars, formic acid,
biogenic amines, alkaloids, free amino acids, hydrocarbons, peptides
and proteins.
 Venoms of fire ants (Solenopsis species) are fortified with unique
necrotoxins that produce conspicuous lesions at the sting sites.

18. 1. The puffer fish is one of the many species of the
family Tetraodontidae.They are a poisonous fish, and their
“tetrodotoxin”(TTX), which is said to be about 1,500 times
more lethal than cyanide deadens the tongue and lips, and
induces dizziness and vomiting, followed by numbness and
prickling over the body, rapid heart rate, decreased blood
pressure, and muscle paralysis.The toxin paralyzes diaphragm
muscle and stops the person who has ingested it from
breathing.

19. 2. Synanceia is a genus of fish of the famiLy Synanceiidae,
the stonefish, whose members are venomous, dangerous, and
even fatal to humans. They are the most venomous
fish known.] They are found in the coastal regions of the Indo-
Pacific. The venom of Synanceia is potent and can result in
cellular deterioration of the afflicted organism due to toxins
that target cellular membranes.] The venom can also lower
white blood cell count and lead to infection of the area even
after appropriate treatment of the wound.[

20.  Millipedes do not bite but may secrete a toxin that is irritating, causing
burning and itching of the skin and, particularly when accidentally
rubbed into the eye, causing redness, swelling, and pain of the
conjunctiva or the cornea. Similar to other venoms, such as snake or
scorpion, the venoms of milipede are a natural pool of proteins,
peptides and enzymes .