Medicinal plants for the treatment of snakebites among the rural populations of Indian subcontinent: An indication from the traditional use To pharmacological confirmation

Abstract

Snakebite is one of the important medical problems that affect the public health due to their high morbimortality. Most of the snake venoms produce intense lethal effects, which could lead to impermanent or permanent disability or in often death to the victims. The accessible specific treatment was using the antivenom serum separated from envenomed animals, whose efficiency is reduced against these lethal actions but it has a serious side effects. In this circumstance, this review aimed to provide an updated overview of herbal plants used popularly as antiophidic agents and discuss the main species with pharmacological studies supporting the uses, with prominence on plants inhibiting the lethal effects of snake envenomation amongst the rural tribal peoples of India. There are several reports of the accepted use of herbal plants against snakebites worldwide. In recent years, many studies have been published to giving pharmacological confirmation of benefits of several vegetal species against local effects induced by a broad range of snake venoms, including inhibitory potential against hyaluronidase, phospholipase, proteolytic, hemorrhagic, myotoxic, and edematogenic activities. In India, a variety of herbal plants are used to cure against the snakebites and other poisonous bites, used either in alone or in combination with other herbal agents. The present study was designed to formulate an attempt to bring together information on medicinal plants that are grown and used for snakebite treatment in India. From a variety of literature sources, data have been compiled with prominence on the plants, family, parts used, etc., depending on the availability of information.

Toxicosis of Snake, Scorpion, Honeybee, Spider, and Wasp Venoms: Part 1

“…N-acetyl cysteine inhibited gelatinase, hyaluronidase, hemorrhagic and defribrinogenating activities of Vipera russelli and E. carinatus venoms [91]. A derivative of citalopram (DFD) neutralized venoms of E. carinatus, E. ocellatus, E. carinatus sochureki, E. carinatus leakeyi and Crotalus atrox [92]. However, Allium cepa, Securidaca longipedunculata, Carica papaya, Harrisonia abyssinica and Nicotiana tobaccum are frequently used in treatment of snakebite.…”

“…However, Allium cepa, Securidaca longipedunculata, Carica papaya, Harrisonia abyssinica and Nicotiana tobaccum are frequently used in treatment of snakebite. Low dose of snake antivenom is highly cost-effective as compared to the high dose [92].…”

Ethnobotanical Indices on Medicinal Plants Used to Treat Poisonous Bites in Thiruppuvanam Region of Sivagangai District in Tamil Nadu, India

“…Most of the poisonous venoms produce intense lethal effects, which could lead to impermanent or permanent disability or in often death to the victims. The accessible specific treatment was using the anti-venom serum separated from envenomed animals, whose efficiency is reduced against these lethal actions but it has a serious side effects 1 . Poisonous bites have been a serious yet often overlooked public health threat especially in tropical and subtropical countries, including Asia 2 .…”