Comments on the Natural Expression and Artificial Extraction of Venom Gland Components from Spiders

Abstract

Milking or gland extraction can be used to harvest mRNA, toxins, and other materials from spiders that are suitable for a wide variety of studies, but the milked venom and extracts should not be assumed to be equivalent to naturally expressed venoms injected into insects. A much better understanding of the diverse anatomies, physiologies, and dispersion mechanisms is required for this understanding.

Keywords:

• Gland extraction
• Milked venom
• Naturally expressed venoms
• Envenomation
• External digestion.