Snake venom contains a protein that has the potential for new drug discovery and to advance understanding of disease mechanisms, according to researchers.

Called haditoxin, the novel protein was discovered in Professor Manjunatha Kini's laboratory at the National University of Singapore.

Co-author of the paper Dr S. Niru Nirthanan, has characterised the pharmacological actions of haditoxin.

He said that haditoxin was structurally unique and therefore expected to have unique pharmacological properties.

"This toxin is like a conjoined twin. It is a relatively large complex made up of two identical protein molecules known as three-finger toxins linked together.

"We know that the family of three-finger toxins display diverse biological actions on the human nervous system, cardiovascular system and blood clotting. Some have directly led to the development of compounds with potent analgesic and blood pressure reducing properties - so it is likely that haditoxin in its 'conjoined twin' state or as individual components will offer us more novel insights," he added.

Nirthanan said many common drugs such as the widely prescribed blood pressure medication Captopril and anti-clotting drug Eptifibatide have been developed from snake and other animal venoms.

"Researchers have been studying King Cobra venom for over 50 years and yet we are still identifying new compounds. It is a complex cocktail of biological molecules that can change composition depending on the environment, the season or even the snake's diet," he added.