Abstract
Purpose: Bothrops snakes are responsible for more than 70 % of snakebites every year in Brazil and their venoms cause severe local and systemic damages. The pharmacological properties of medicinal plants have been widely investigated in order to discover new alternative treatments for different classes of diseases including neglected tropical diseases as envenomation by snakebites. In this work, we have investigated the ability of Vochysia haenkeana stem barks extract (VhE) to neutralize the neuromuscular effects caused by Bothropstoxin-I (BthTX-I), the major phospholipase A2 (PLA2) myotoxin from B. jararacussu venom.Methods: The biological compounds of VhE were analysed under thin layer chromatography (TLC) and its neutralizing ability against BthTX-I was assessed through twitch-tension recordings and histological analysis in mouse phrenic nerve-diaphragm (PND) preparations. The antimicrobial activity of VhE was assessed against S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa strains. The aggregation activity of VhE was analysed under protein precipitation assay.Results: VhE showed the presence of phenolic compound visualized by blue trace under TLC. VhE abolished the neuromuscular blockade caused by BthTX-I applying the pre-toxin incubation treatment and partially neutralized the BthTX-I action under post-toxin incubation treatment; VhE contributed slightly to decrease the myotoxicity induced by BthTX-I. The neutralizing mechanism of VhE may be related to protein aggregation. VhE showed no antimicrobial activity.Conclusion: V. haenkeana extract which has no antimicrobial activity exhibited neutralizing ability against the neuromuscular blockade caused by BthTX-I and also contributed to decrease its myotoxicity. Protein aggregation involving phenolic compounds may be related in these protective effects.
Highlights
In Brazil, Bothrops snakes comprise more than 30 species distributed throughout the country and they are responsible for approximately 70 % of snakebites every year; the World Health Organization (WHO) has considered snakebites as a neglected tropical disease due to the numerous cases and difficulties in specific regions to reach antivenom therapy.[1,2,3,4,5] Bothrops venoms induce severe local and systemic damages due to their high enzymatic action basically mediated by proteases and phospholipases A2 (PLA2).[6,7] In envenomation by Bothrops venoms, the local effects
We have investigated the ability of Vochysia haenkeana stem barks extract (VhE) to neutralize the neuromuscular effects caused by Bothropstoxin-I (BthTX-I), the major phospholipase A2 (PLA2) myotoxin from B. jararacussu venom
Based on popular medicinal practices, stem barks from Vochysia haenkeana has been selected in this work to be investigated in terms of its neutralizing ability against the effects induced by snake venoms and antimicrobial activity
Summary
In Brazil, Bothrops snakes comprise more than 30 species distributed throughout the country and they are responsible for approximately 70 % of snakebites every year; the World Health Organization (WHO) has considered snakebites as a neglected tropical disease due to the numerous cases and difficulties in specific regions to reach antivenom therapy.[1,2,3,4,5] Bothrops venoms induce severe local and systemic damages due to their high enzymatic action basically mediated by proteases and phospholipases A2 (PLA2).[6,7] In envenomation by Bothrops venoms, the local effects
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