Plants used in the treatment of snakebites in Brazil

Abstract

Snakebite envenoming is a potentially fatal disease categorized as a neglected public health issue for not receiving the attention it deserves from national and international health authorities. The people most affected by this problem usually live in poor rural communities where medical resources are often sparse and, in some instances, there is even a scarcity of antivenom, which is the only specific treatment. Therefore, there is a need for a search and evaluation of new agents with effective anti-ophidian activity. The aim of this study was to review the scientific bibliography and to compile a list of plant species used in the treatment of snakebites in Brazil caused by the four genera of snakes considered venomous and therefore of medical importance in the country: Crotalus, Bothrops, Lachesis and Micrurus. The research was conducted in the databases “Pubmed”, “Scielo” and “Google Scholar”, using the term “plant snakebites and Brazil”, as well as combinations of other keywords, its corresponding terms in portuguese and spanish, and the genera of snakes with clinical relevance in Brazil. In this review, there were found 94 articles that tested determined antiophidic properties of one or more plant species. A total of 104 plant species were reported, belonging to 51 different families. Only eleven species are reported at least three times, other eleven are reported twice and the other 82 plant species are each reported in just one study. The most cited plant species were Casearia sylvestris Sw., Eclipta prostrata (L.) L., Mikania glomerata Spreng., Schizolobium parahyba (Vell.) S.F.Blake, Curcuma longa L., Tabernaemontana catharinensis A.DC., Kalanchoe laciniata (L.) DC., Jatropha gossypiifolia L., Marsypianthes chamaedrys (Vahl) Kuntze, Bellucia dichotoma Cogn., and Renealmia alpinia (Rottb.) Maas. Further studies on the chemistry and pharmacology of traditionally used plant species will help understanding the role that snakebite herbal remedies can have within local medical health systems and may be useful in the development of alternative or complementary treatments to reduce the number of severe disabilities and deaths.