I apologize, but I must ask, why would you want to dry it? First, the extraction of scorpion venom is a laborious process, and techniques to extract venom, which include a mild electrical shock (it doesn't hurt or injure the scorpion), which will only yield a few microliters of the milky, peptide-rich venom. In order to get enough venom (same species) to work with..[either for development of anti-venom, anti-cancer, anti-pain compounds, or potential biocides ), ongoing experimentation into the types of peptide proteins is needed]. It takes a few hundred scorpions, milked once or twice- to even collect (via capillary tubes) enough venom to work with. (It usually takes 1–3 weeks for the scorpion to build back its’ venom reserves, after milking). Extraction of venom from an individual scorpion, possible ONLY through the stinger, is but a drop at a time..no more than that is needed for the scorpion's venom to take effect in the wild. However, if the venom from a single drop of scorpion venom were exuded & not injected, such a minuscule amount would just evaporate away. You’d need to collect venom from a few hundred ‘milked’ scorpions to get enough droplets of venom visible in a petri dish of venom. Most venom is examined and studied in its liquid form.
It wouldn’t be impossible, however, to place the petri dish in a desiccator, or in a dry environment to induce H2O to evaporate out from the venom. However, once that is achieved, it might be impossible to tell how or what the actual mix & ratio of compounds were originally active in the liquid venom…the form to which most of nature is introduced.
Scorpion venom is rich in protein peptides, and scientists estimate there may be as many as 100,00 types of peptides, but we’ve isolated less than <1,000, with a wealth of knowledge still yet to be learned. Creating a powder of the liquid extract (once you’ve managed to get enough..a long delicate process) would require a fair amount of the liquid venom..that’s problem # 1. Understanding of chemistry and the compounds in the venom in the ambient environment must be understood to allow a ‘dry powder’ extract…(problem # 2). There are certain compounds that are bound to be lost due to volatility, and/or changed due to oxidation reactions of the venom compounds once exposed to atmospheric oxygen & other airborne compounds.
Some scorpion venom is now being investigated as potential biocides ...basically, biological pesticides..since natural toxins are more pest/species-specific, and don’t kill species indiscriminately, including the beneficial animals that normally are killed along with pest species from broad-spectrum synthetic pesticides.
Methods of use are still under study..application by spraying would not work, as ‘ingestion’ by pest species would have little effect. More research is needed.
In studies with Scorpions venom, their neurotoxicity holds promise as a pain-killer, with compounds that paralyze cells….(a current pain-killer on the market is inspired by the toxins of the venomous cone-snail…& its structure now duplicated to synthesize the benefits of the animal's toxin).
I can imagine that in some cultural & ethnic histories, the ‘healing’ powers of some scorpion venom (& other venoms) have been observed, and I wonder if this is a question as to how a powered form of liquid extract might be used…but without exact knowledge of the complexity of compounds..it’s hard to discern what outcomes might be. Nevertheless, a considerable amount of toxin (& time) will be required to extract sufficient scorpion venom in liquid form..to dry to a powder. Obviously, low humidity is required, but there is going to be loss of certain compounds or beak-down of peptides…..so i imagine the question is asking how to dry scorpion venom for a specific use. It should be remembered that the toxicity of venom can vary even within the Same species..in different geologic locations.
Scorpions are generally petite creatures, with a lot of potential predators. One way some species deal with this is that some contain venomous compounds that only affect mammalian cells..thus, the stinging burning compounds allow protection for these relatively slow arthropods..often preyed on (or so attempted) by squirrels, foxes, feral cats, and other small mammals.
Extraction of scorpion venom requires professional equipment & processes that can be found in a Laboratory.. Individual ‘milking’ will very likely NOT produce enough venom to convert to powder, as the amount is so small.
I am unsure what the use of the powder form might be used for, although it may assist in an overall analysis of components…and the need for more research & the beneficial potential of such natural toxins….anti-venom is being researched for far more than it’s anti-venom properties.
Please be conscious that this can be a very dangerous endeavor without adequate training.
Since there are more questions regarding scorpion toxins/venom & protein-peptide composition, transforming an adequate collection of liquid venom (must be same species) into a powder form might allow analysis by other methods. The drying or ‘’turning to powder’ process requires evaporation, low humidity, and air circulation….although it is not unlikely that there will be a breakdown of some of these proteins, which may or may not be measurable in gas form. if there is a sufficient amount. It is more likely, in the transformation of the liquid to (powder), there will a loss of compounds and peptides which do not represent the true composition of the injected liquid venom.
Studied Environmental Health & Aquatic Toxicology at National Institutes of Health
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