ASSESSMENT OF VENOM TOXICITY USING DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER AS A MODEL ORGANISM: A REVIEW

Akanksha V. Joshi*, Dr. Mrunal Ghag Sawant, Sanika N. Parkar

ABSTRACT

Drosophila has been a very easy to culture model organism with advantages like its short life cycle and abundant progeny. Various studies have evaluated venom’s toxicological effects on Drosophila as a model organism. Drosophila is used as a powerful genetic tool and to study different components of the signalling pathways in humans. Venom consists of different biologically active compounds like proteins, enzymes and peptides. Venom shows wide range of neurotoxic effects which may include symptoms like weakness, nausea, headache, confusion, and drowsiness, along with muscle-related problems such as pain, cramps with muscle twitching (fasciculations), and difficulty in breathing. As well as hemotoxic effects such severe disruptions in blood coagulation, tissue damage, and cardiovascular failure in most of the vertebrates. This review aims to understand toxicological effects in Drosophila by using various venoms of different organisms such as Snake, Scorpion, Bee, Spider, Wasps and other marine organisms.

Keywords: toxicological effects, venoms, Drosophila