INHIBITORY ACTIVITY OF <I>Murraya paniculata</I> AGAINST MYOTOXIC PHOSPHOLIPASES A<SUB>2</SUB>

Abstract

Envenomation by snakes of the genus Bothrops are a health problem in some tropical countries, not only because of the mortality but given the high percentage of physical disabilities it causes. Phospholipases A2 (PLA2) are abundant constituents in bothropic and crotalic venoms, characterized by inducing irreversible muscle damage. Due to the contribution of plants in the snakebite treatment, we focus on the search of phospholipases inhibitors, either as an alternative treatment or as a therapeutic adjuvant of the current treatments. From a screening of 37 vascular plants and bryophytes in the search for such inhibitors, the species Murraya paniculata was selected due to its promising preliminary activity. Starting from this point further work consisting of bioassay-guided fractionation followed by the evaluation of the inhibitory activity of PLA2, the metabolites responsible for the activity were detected through a tandem of gas chromatography - mass spectrometry in the most active fraction, to propose substrate-enzyme inhibition model. The aims of this project was the search of promising compounds with an inhibitory activity of the PLA2 in vascular plants such as M. paniculata, that could become tools for developing new products to improve the prognosis of the snakebite.