What is "mambalgins"

Mambalgins are peptides in the highly-potent venom of the deadly African elapid snake species Dendroaspis polylepsis, commonly known as the Black mamba. This peptide toxin was discovered by Dr. Sylvie Diochot, part of a research group directed by Dr. Eric Lingueglia from the French Mediterranean coastal city Nice, after a number of experiments carried out with venoms of a wide range of snakes.

This discovery surprised the researchers because mambalgins have a potent analgesic effect, which is not typical of such a deadly and dangerous reptile, given that many other snakes instead of omitting pain, produce it in great measure. The researchers named the peptide by combining mamba (the name of the snake), and algin (analgesic power).