Inhibitory Effect of PlantManilkara subsericeaagainst Biological Activities ofLachesis mutaSnake Venom

Abstract

Snake venom is composed of a mixture of substances that caused in victims a variety of pathophysiological effects. Besides antivenom, literature has described plants able to inhibit injuries and lethal activities induced by snake venoms. This work describes the inhibitory potential of ethanol, hexane, ethyl acetate, or dichloromethane extracts and fractions from stem and leaves of Manilkara subsericea against in vivo (hemorrhagic and edema) and in vitro (clotting, hemolysis, and proteolysis) activities caused by Lachesis muta venom. All the tested activities were totally or at least partially reduced by M. subsericea. However, when L. muta venom was injected into mice 15 min first or after the materials, hemorrhage and edema were not inhibited. Thus, M. subsericea could be used as antivenom in snakebites of L. muta. And, this work also highlights Brazilian flora as a rich source of molecules with antivenom properties.

Protective Effect of the Plant Extracts of Erythroxylum sp. against Toxic Effects Induced by the Venom of Lachesis muta Snake

“…In addition, the part of plant (leaf, root, stem, flour, fruit, or flowers) involved in the inhibitory effect against the toxicity of venoms as well as the solvents used to prepare extracts should be taken into consideration in studies of screening, ethnobotany, and ethnopharmacology. A previous report reinforces our results, since different inhibitory profiles were observed for the stem and leaves of Manilkara subsericea prepared in ethyl acetate or hexane against proteolytic, hemolytic, coagulant, hemorrhagic, and edematogenic activities of L. muta venom [38]. However, it is quite difficult to postulate which part of M. subsericea is the most active in inhibiting such activities [38].…”

Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Local Tissue Damage Induced by Snake Venoms: An Overview from Traditional Use to Pharmacological Evidence

“…A summary of active plants against Lachesis snakes local effects is presented in Table 6 . Lachesis muta is the longest venomous snake in the Americas and is distributed in the equatorial forests east of the Andes, ranging from eastern Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, northern Bolivia, and eastern and northern Venezuela, to Guyana, French Guyana, Surinam, and northern Brazil [ 100 , 186 ]. L. muta snakebites are mainly characterized by systemic (generalized bleeding, coagulopathy, renal failure, and shock) and local effects (pain, hemorrhage, edema, and necrosis).…”

“…L. muta snakebites are mainly characterized by systemic (generalized bleeding, coagulopathy, renal failure, and shock) and local effects (pain, hemorrhage, edema, and necrosis). In South America, Bothrops species has a higher incidence of accidents than L. muta , but, on the other hand, Lachesis bites led to more severe symptoms and have lethality indexes significantly higher than Bothrops [ 100 , 186 , 187 ]. Thus, the study of medicinal plants against these snakes, too, is of very much relevance.…”

Inhibitory effects of ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and vitamin B-complex on the biological activities induced byBothropsvenom

“…The mechanism of interaction between antioxidants and proteases has not been clarified yet, but the inhibition of proteolytic activity is probably the result of molecular interactions between antioxidants and the active site of the proteases (Patiño et al 2013;Oliveira et al 2014). Tables 1 and 2 show the inhibitory effects of the vitamins on enzymes present in the venoms, which are responsible for acting on some plasma proteins related to coagulation.…”