The potential of Brazilian native plant species used in the therapy for snakebites: A literature review

Abstract

Snakebite envenoming is a potentially fatal disease categorized as a neglected public health issue for not receiving the appropriate attention from national and international health authorities. The most affected people 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 serum therapy. The administration of the appropriate antivenom is the only specific treatment available, however it has limited efficacy against venom-induced local effects. In this scenario, various plant species are used as local first aid for the treatment of snakebite accidents in Brazil, and some of them can effectively inhibit lethality, neurotoxicity, hemorrhage, and venom enzymes activities. This review compiles a list of plants used in the treatment of snakebites in Brazil, focusing on the native Brazilian species registered in the databases Pubmed, Scielo, Scopus and Google Scholar. All these searches were limited to peer-reviewed journals written in English, with the exception of a few articles written in Portuguese. The most cited native plant species were Casearia sylvestris Sw., Eclipta prostrata (L.) L., Mikania glomerata Spreng., Schizolobium parahyba (Vell.) S.F.Blake and Dipteryx alata Vogel, all used to decrease the severity of toxic signs, inhibit proteolytic and hemorrhagic activities, thus increasing survival time and neutralizing myotoxicity effects. Different active compounds showing important activity against the snake venoms and their toxins include flavonoids, alkaloids and tannins. Although some limitations to the experimental studies with medicinal plants were observed, including lack of comparison with control drugs and unknown active extracts compounds, species with anti-venom characteristics are effective and considered as candidates for the development of adjuvants in the treatment of snake envenomation. Further studies on the chemistry and pharmacology of traditionally used plant species will help to understand the role that snakebite herbal remedies may display in local medical health systems. It might also contribute to the development of alternative or complementary treatments to reduce the number of severe disabilities and deaths.