Some toxicological characteristics of three venomous soft corals from the Red Sea

Three common Red Sea soft corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa), Nephthea sp, Dendronephthya sp and Heteroxenia fuscescens sting humans. Nematocyst venoms of each animal are lethal to mice and hemolytic to human erythrocytes. However, these hemolysins are partially inhibited by known anti-hemolytic agents. Venoms and their gel chromatography-separated fractions have different dermonecrosis and vasopermeability potency in mouse skin. The venom of Heteroxenia fuscescens (Hf) was more lethal (LD50: 0.7 mg/kg), with one prominent 97-kDa protein fraction (LD50: 0.55 mg/kg). Hf venom was more hemolytic, more dermonecrotic, and had more vasopermeable factors than that of the two other species. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of soft coral whole venoms and fractions showed different protein molecular masses ranging from 200 to less than 6 kDa. High IgG titers were assayed from venom-sensitized mice blood sera. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) marked significant immunological cross-reaction between the studied soft coral venoms and their bioactive fractions.