In vitro Anti-snake Venom Activities of Aloysia citriodora Palau: New Possibilities for a Known Aromatic Plant

Abstract

Traditional medicine in Corrientes Province (Argentina) uses herbs preparations in the form of infusions and cataplasms as an alternative medication for the treatment of bites from venomous animals. Aloysia citriodora is widely used in folk medicine to treat different disorders, but only few authors cite this Vervenaceae as antivenom against snake bites. In this work, we studied the effect of essential oils and extracts from aerial parts of A. citriodora against Bothrops diporus venom, yarará chica, so as to evaluate the traditional antisnake venom properties suggested for this species. In addition, a seasonal and geographical evaluation of the chemical composition of the essential oil was performed in order to assess its chemical stability. Results showed that A. citriodora possesses in vitro antisnake venom activity and that essential oil components could be considered as a part of its active constituents. These are most likely responsible for the plant’s potential therapeutic benefits since they attenuate the proteolytic, coagulant and indirect hemolytic activities of B. diporus venom. Our results support the ethnopharmacological use of this species as antivenom, and backs the need to continue the research in order to identify the components responsible for the antivenom activity evaluated.