Snakebites and ethnobotany in the northwest region of Colombia Part III: Neutralization of the haemorrhagic effect of Bothrops atrox venom

Thirty-one of 75 extracts of plants used by traditional healers for snakebi tes, had moderate or high neutralizing ability against the haemorrhagic eff ect of Bothrops atrox venom from Antioquia and Choco, north-western Colombi a. After preincubation of several doses of every extract (7.8-4000 mug/mous e) with six minimum haemorrhagic doses (10 mug) of venom, 12 of them demons trated 100% neutralizing capacity when the mixture was i.d. injected into m ice (18-20 g). These were the stem barks of Brownea rosademonte (Caesalpini aceae) and Tabebuia rosea (Bignoniaceae); the whole plants of Pleopeltis pe rcussa (Polypodiaceae), Trichomanes elegans (Hymenophyllaceae) and Senna da riensis (Caesalpiniaceae); rhizomes of Heliconia curtispatha (Heliconiaceae ); leaves and branches of Bixa orellana (Bixaceae), Philodendron tripartitu m (Araceae), Struthanthus orbicularis (Loranthaceae) and Gonzalagunia panam ensis (Rubiaceae); the ripe fruits of Citrus limon (Rutaceae); leaves, bran ches and stem of Ficus nymphaeifolia (Moraceae). Extracts of another 19 spe cies showed moderate neutralization (21-72%) at doses up to 4 mg/mouse, e.g . the whole plants of Aristolochia grandiflora (Aristolochiaceae), Columnea kalbreyeriana (Gesneriaceae), Sida acuta (Malvaceae), Selaginella articula ta (Selaginellaceae) and Pseudoelephantopus spicatus (Asteraceae); rhizomes :of Renealmia alpinia (Zingiberaceae); the stem of Strychnos xinguensis (Lo ganiaceae); leaves, branches and stems of Hyptis capitata (Lamiaceae), Ipom oea cailica (Convolvulaceae), Neurolaena lobata (Asteraceae), Ocimum micran thum (Lamiaceae), Piper pulchrum (Piperaceae), Siparuna thecaphora (Monimia ceae), Castilla elastica (Moraceae) and Allamanda cathartica (Apocynaceae); the macerated ripe fruits of Capsicum frutescens (Solanaceae); the unripe fruits of Crescentia cujete (Bignoniaceae); leaves and branches of Piper ar boreum (Piperaceae) and Passiflora quadrangular is (Passifloraceae). When t he extracts were independently administered by oral, i.p, or i.v. route eit her before or after an i.d. venom injection (10 mug), neutralization of hae morrhage dropped below 25% for all the extracts. Additionally, B. rosademon te and P. percussa extracts were able to inhibit the proteolytic activity o f B. atrox venom on casein. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All righ ts reserved.