Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais da Amazônia, Laboratório de Bioprospecção e Biologia Experimental, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará - UFOPA, Rua Vera Paz, s/n, 68035-110 Santarém, PA, Brazil; Programa Multi-Institucional de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Laboratório de Imunologia, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Amazonas - UFAM, Av. Rodrigo Octávio Ramos, 3000 Manaus, AM, Brazil.
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais da Amazônia, Laboratório de Bioprospecção e Biologia Experimental, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará - UFOPA, Rua Vera Paz, s/n, 68035-110 Santarém, PA, Brazil.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2015 Feb 23;161:224-32. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2014.12.020. Epub 2014 Dec 20.
The poor distribution and limited availability of antivenoms in Brazil have led to greater use of plants to treat snakebites. Very often such plants are the only alternative available to riverside communities.
Direct questionnaire-based interviews were conducted with members of the Cucurunã, São Pedro and Alter do Chão communities in Santarém, Pará, Brazil. For each of the 12 most frequently mentioned species aqueous extracts were prepared and the phytochemical profiles determined by thin layer chromatography. The concentrations of phenolic compounds (tannins and flavonoids) in the aqueous extracts were determined by colorimetric assays. To assess inhibition of the hemorrhagic activity of Bothrops jararaca venom, solutions containing the venom mixed with aqueous extracts in the ratios 1:12 and 1:48 were tested (w/w). SDS-PAGE and Western blot were used to assess the action of the extracts on Bothrops jararaca venom.
In all, 24 plants belonging to 19 families were mentioned in the survey as being used to treat snakebites. Leaves (84%), seeds (60.9%) and inner bark (53%) were cited as the most frequently used parts in folk remedies, which were usually prepared in the form of a decoction (62.5%), tincture (45%) or maceration (22.5%). Hemorrhage induced by Bothrops jararaca venom was completely inhibited by aqueous extracts of Bellucia dichotoma, Connarus favosus, Plathymenia reticulata and Philodendron megalophyllum, which had a high phenolic content and contained condensed and hydrolyzable tannins. The results of SDS-PAGE showed that some venom protein bands were not visible when the venom was preincubated with the extracts that had completely inhibited hemorrhagic activity of the venom. Western blot showed that the extracts did not have any enzymatic action on the proteins in the venom as it failed to detect low-molecular-weight bands, which are indicative of possible enzymatic cleavage.
Traditional use of plants to treat snakebites is a common practice in the western region of Pará, Brazil. Our findings show that some plant extracts were able to inhibit snake venom-induced hemorrhage in vitro. In vivo studies are being carried out to validate the traditional use of these species to treat snakebites.
在巴西，抗蛇毒血清分布不均且供应有限，这导致更多地使用植物来治疗蛇咬伤。这种植物往往是河边社区唯一可获得的替代药物。
对巴西帕拉州圣塔伦的库鲁鲁纳、圣佩德罗和阿尔特多绍昂社区的成员进行了直接的问卷调查式访谈。对于最常提到的 12 种物种中的每一种，都制备了水提物，并通过薄层层析法确定了植物化学成分图谱。通过比色法测定水提物中酚类化合物（单宁和类黄酮）的浓度。为了评估含有 Bothrops jararaca 毒液的溶液对抑制蛇毒引起的出血活性的作用，测试了毒液与水提取物按 1:12 和 1:48 混合的比例（w/w）的溶液。SDS-PAGE 和 Western blot 用于评估提取物对 Bothrops jararaca 毒液的作用。
在调查中，共有 24 种植物被提及，隶属于 19 个科，被用于治疗蛇咬伤。叶片（84%）、种子（60.9%）和内皮（53%）是民间疗法中最常使用的部位，通常以煎剂（62.5%）、酊剂（45%）或浸剂（22.5%）的形式制备。Bellucia dichotoma、Connarus favosus、Plathymenia reticulata 和 Philodendron megalophyllum 的水提物完全抑制了 Bothrops jararaca 毒液引起的出血，这些植物具有较高的酚类含量，并含有缩合和可水解的单宁酸。SDS-PAGE 的结果表明，当毒液与完全抑制毒液出血活性的提取物预孵育时，一些毒液蛋白带不可见。Western blot 显示，提取物对毒液中的蛋白质没有任何酶促作用，因为未能检测到低分子量带，这表明可能发生了酶切。
巴西帕拉州西部地区，人们普遍使用植物来治疗蛇咬伤。我们的研究结果表明，一些植物提取物能够抑制蛇毒引起的体外出血。正在进行体内研究以验证这些物种治疗蛇咬伤的传统用途。
