The anti-ophidian properties of Anacardium occidentale bark extract

Abstract

Snakebites in rural areas of tropical and subtropical regions are commonly treated with medicinal plants. In this report, we have studied the ability of Anacardium occidentale bark extract to neutralize enzymatic as well as pharmacological effects induced by Vipera russelii venom. The extract neutralized the viper venom hydrolytic enzymes such as phospholipase, protease, and hyaluronidase in a dose dependent manner. These enzymes are responsible for both local effects of envenomation such as local tissue damage, inflammation and myonecrosis, and systemic effects including dysfunction of vital organs and alteration in the coagulation components. In addition, extract neutralized the pharmacological effects such as edema, hemorrhage, and myotoxic effects including lethality, induced by venom. Since, it inhibits both hydrolytic enzymes and pharmacological effects; it may be used as an alternative treatment to serum therapy and, in addition, as a rich source of potential inhibitors of hydrolytic enzymes involved in several physiopathological diseases.

Keywords::

• Anti-Ophidian
• snake envenomation
• medicinal plants
• anacardium occidentale

Acknowledgments

Authors thank B.S. Vishwanath, Department of Biochemistry, University of Mysore, Mysore, for his valuable suggestion. We also thank Karnataka Cardio Diagnostic Center, Mysore for providing facility to carry out myotoxicity and myonecrotic activities studies. Sampath Ushanandini thanks the University of  Mysore, Mysore, India, and Shivaiah Nagaraju thanks Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, India, for financial assistance.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.