Evaluation of the anti-snakebite, antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of Philodendron megalophyllum Schott (Araceae), traditionally used in accidents caused by snakes in the western region of Pará, Brazil

The Failures of Ethnobotany and Phytomedicine in Delivering Novel Treatments for Snakebite Envenomation

“…Similarly, 30 species of plants were cited from a survey in rural Kenya, including native and exotic plants that had to be sourced [20]. In South America, Philodendron [21] and Mandevilla [22] extracts are thought to be beneficial for SBE. Notably, the ingestion of tamarind juice or soap, the application of calcium carbonate, or secretions of plants such as the genus Calotropis are also being routinely practiced in rural settings for snakebite victims [23].…”

“…The authors frequently only demonstrate in vitro data, with crude plant extracts, on neutralisation of one or a few venom enzymes, or in vivo data with poor relevance to SBE clinical situations. These examples frequently include preincubation of the crude preparation with the venom, before injection into test animals [19,21,22] or shortly thereafter [28], thus creating a situation for inhibition unlike any real snakebite. A review in 2012 on herbal approaches to SBE frequently mentions pre-incubation of the venom with the plant extract, which has no clinical relevance to envenomation [24].…”

“…There are also claims that long pepper extract and piperine produce antibodies that are useful against Russell's viper bites [29]. We were unable to find papers where the active preparation was directly applied to the model snakebite wound in the test animal, which is often the route of administration of such remedies [15,16,19,21]. Oral administration of test compounds does replicate the mode of application but not patient time scales, as these compounds often need to be given by a healer [9,20,30].…”

“…Oral administration of test compounds does replicate the mode of application but not patient time scales, as these compounds often need to be given by a healer [9,20,30]. In some instances, oral treatments have been published as failing [21], or in others, the timeframe is immediately before the venom challenge [19]. Purified DNase I from Tricosanthus tricuspidata extract does show promise in protecting tissue from released DNA nets following Echis carinatus envenomation, but this is only one pathological element of the many involved in SBE and hardly a promising lead.…”

A First Look at the Inhibitory Potential of Urospatha sagittifolia (Araceae) Ethanolic Extract for Bothrops atrox Snakebite Envenomation

“…Particularly, Amazonian plants have shown a great potential as a chemical library of specialized metabolites able to modulate the enzymatic and toxic role of proteins and peptides from snake venoms [ 16 ]. Extracts of Bellucia dichotoma [ 17 ], Connarus favosus [ 18 ], Philodendron megalophyllum [ 19 ], Dracontium dubium [ 20 ], Plathymenia reticulata [ 18 ] and Dracontium loretense [ 21 ] are reported to inhibit some toxic activities such as edema, hemorrhage and lethality induced by Bothrops spp. venoms.…”