Inter-Specific Biochemical Diversity between Echis pyramidum and Eryx colubrinus Inhabiting El-Faiyum, Egypt

Discontinuous polyacrylamide gel electrophoreses for lactate dehydrogenase (Ldh) and alfa-esterase (α-Est) isoenzymes were conducted for biochemical differentiation between Echis pyramidum and Eryx colubrinus inhabiting El-Faiyum, Egypt. Total lipids and total protein of liver and muscle tissues in both species were also analyzed. Three Ldh isoforms were recorded in both species and the activity and relative front (RF) of Ldh-1 seemed to be higher in E. pyramidum than in E. colubrinus. This high activity could be supported by the significant increase in the total lipids and total protein in liver and muscle tissues of this species. It is thus possibly reasonable to suppose that E. pyramidum is more active, energetic and adaptable in its habitat than E. colubrinus. α-Est showed five isozymic forms fractions in E. pyramidum, while it showed only four isoforms in E. colubrinus. α-Est-1 was the first clear, dense and thick isoform in E. pyramidum, but it was completely absent in E. colubrinus. High activity of the esterase isoform; α-Est-1 only in the heart tissue of E. pyramidum may reflect the high ability of E. pyramidum to be more resistant to the accumulated toxic residues in its body tissues than E. colubrinus.