Author: Dr. R. Valavan , Dr. Poorva Tiwari , Saloni Mallik
Serum anguillae, also known as Eel serum and Serum anguillar ichthyotoxin, is a drug prepared from the serum of eel species ‘Anguilla rostrata’. It is a ray-finned fish with a long, slender, snake-like body, laterally compressed at the posterior end, and reaching a length of 0.6 m. The scales are minute and imbedded in the yellowish-brown skin, thus giving it a smooth appearance. The eel is a catadromous fish, spending most of its life in fresh water, and moving to the ocean to spawn. Eel serum is a yellowish to greenish-yellow, opalescent liquid; it may be pink due to a slight hemolysis. It is majorly found in North America. Its preparation involves careful process of identification of species, collection of blood, separation of serum and immediate attenuation up to 3X with isotonic sodium chloride solution, since it could not be stored below 3X. Special arrangements are being made for the collection, preparation and transportation of the 1 remedy.
