Download PDF
Planta Med 1994; 60(2): 99-100
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-959425
Papers

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Pharmacological Screening of Plants Recommended by Folk Medicine as Snake Venom Antidotes; IV. Protection against Jararaca Venom by Isolated Constituents1

Nuno A. Pereira2 , Bettina M. Ruppelt Pereira2 , Maria Célia Nascimento3 , José Paz Parente3 , Walter B. Mors3
  • 2Departamento de Farmacologia, CCS-ICB, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-590 Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
  • 3Núcleo de Pesquisas de Produtos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-590 Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
1 For Part III, see: (5)
Further Information

Publication History

1993

1993

Publication Date:
04 January 2007 (online)

Also available at
  PDF Download  Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Fifteen Compounds, isolated from plants reputed as snake venom antidotes, belonging to different classes of natural products, were shown to protect mice to a significant degree against the lethal action of the venom of Bothrops jararaca snakes. Administration was by the oral route, one hour prior to envenomation. The substances are nitrogen-free, low-molecular-weight compounds for which some kind of biodynamic activity has previously been reported. The fact that they are mostly trivial, naturally-occurring compounds should explain why plants used as snake-bite antidotes are so widely distributed over the plant kingdom.

Key words

Alexiterics - Bothrops jararaca - natural products against snake venom - snake venom antidotes