ABSTRACT
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE: In Colombia, more than 4.000 ophidian accidents occur per year and due to the scarce distribution and limited availability of antivenom, the use of traditional medicine has been perpetuated in some of its rural communities, in which initially, those affected are treated by healers and shamans using medicinal plants in different ways. METHODS: Research was conducted with renowned healers or connoisseurs of plants on the ethnobotany of ophidian accidents in five different areas and their municipalities of Antioquia: Magdalena Medio (Caracolí, Puerto Berrío); Bajo Cauca (Caucasia, Zaragoza); Nordeste (San Roque, Yalí); Norte (Gómez Plata, Valdivia); Suroeste (Ciudad Bolívar, Salgar); collecting information related to experience and time of use of plants in the treatment of these poisonings, amounts used, ways of use (beverage, bathing, ointment, chupaderas, vapors), preparation types (maceration or decoction) and treatment duration. RESULTS: 71 plant species were identified and collected, 49.29% of them without previous reports as antiophidian and 38.0% employed for the same purpose in other geographical areas. The leaves (24.82%), stems (11.68%) and flowers (10.95%) were found to be the most frequently employed structures in the preparation of the extracts, which are usually prepared by decoction (83.94%), maceration (6.57%). CONCLUSIONS: In this work, specimens lacking previous ethnobotanical reports have been found, plants used by ethnic groups from other regions of Antioquia and the world to treat snake bites; and herbaceous plants whose inhibitory activity of symptoms produced by some snake venoms, has been experimentally verified by in vivo and in vitro tests.
Subject(s)
Antivenins/therapeutic use , Plant Preparations/therapeutic use , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Snake Bites/drug therapy , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antivenins/isolation & purification , Colombia , Ethnopharmacology , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Medicine, Traditional , Middle Aged , Phytotherapy/methods , Plant Preparations/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE: Every year, over 4000 ophidian accidents take place in Colombia. The poor distribution and limited availability of antivenom have perpetuated the use of traditional medicine especially in rural communities. The medical care starts with the affected people receiving treatment by healers or shamans who use medicinal plants prepared in different ways. METHODS: This investigation was undertaken by conducting enquiries to the renowned healers or plants connoisseurs about the ethnobotany of the ophidian accident. In addition, this study included their experience and the time they have used plants in curing bites or stings by poisonous animals. Furthermore, it embraced the plant species used and the amount applied, the ways of their preparation (maceration or decoction), some application techniques (beverage, bathing, poultice, vapors), and duration of treatment. RESULTS: 29 species of plants were collected and identified. 82.7% of them were native, 27.5% had not been previously reported as antiophidian, and 38% had been employed for this purpose in other geographical areas. Leaves (43.59%) and stems (23.08%) were the components most frequently used in the medicinal preparation, which is usually done by maceration (51.92%) or decoction (25.00%). CONCLUSIONS: Throughout this study related to the treatment of snakebite accident, species have been found without any ethnobotanical reports. Moreover, plants being described as new specie and herbs such as Plantago major (Plantaginaceae) used in the treatment of snakebites by many ethnic groups have been found. In addition, herbaceous such as Renealmia alpinia (Zingiberaceae), whose antiophidian activity has been experimentally proven through in vivo and in vitro assays, have been discovered too.
Subject(s)
Phytotherapy , Plant Preparations/therapeutic use , Snake Bites/drug therapy , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Colombia , Data Collection , Ethnobotany , Humans , Medicine, Traditional , Middle Aged , Plants, MedicinalABSTRACT
This study evaluates the favorable effects of using ultrasound during the dissolution process of ethanolic extracts of Heliconia psittacorum and Heliconia rostrata (Heliconiaceae), a family of plants reported to have antiophidic activities. The extracts were subjected to an ultrasound treatment before incubation with venom, and carbohydrate and protein contents were calculated. The ultrasound-treated extracts delayed the clotting effect of venom by up to 45.59 s compared to the positive control (venom). The metabolites content increased to 296.6% and 61.6% in protein and carbohydrate content, respectively. Ultrasound increases the amount of primary and secondary metabolites (potentially antiophidics) released from the extract into the media, and thereby enhances the anticoagulant activity of these plants against the Bothrops asper (mapaná X) venom.
Subject(s)
Ethanol/isolation & purification , Ethanol/radiation effects , Heliconiaceae/chemistry , Heliconiaceae/radiation effects , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Extracts/radiation effects , SonicationABSTRACT
Algunas especies de la familia Heliconaceae han demostrado capacidad neutralizante parcial/total de las actividades letal, hemolítica indirecta, hemorrágica, proteolítica, coagulante, mionecrosante y edematizante del veneno de Bothrops asper (mapaná equis). Este trabajo evalúa dos especies de heliconias: Heliconia psittacorum y Heliconia rostrata, contra las actividades hemolítica indirecta, proteolítica y coagulante del veneno de B. asper, sin que ninguna de ellas ejerza inhibición sobre la actividad hemolítica indirecta y proteolítica. Por el contrario, sus extractos retardan el efecto coagulante del veneno con respecto al controlpositivo hasta 45.59 segundos. Al realizar el perfil electroforético, se observa una banda perteneciente al extracto de H. psittacorum, y además se evidencia disminución y aumento en la intensidad de algunas bandas (66 y 31 KDa respectivamente), que pueden indicar una posible degradación por parte de los extractos. La evaluación fitoquímica de los extractos muestra la presencia de metabolitos primarios de carácter glúcido y protéico; y secundarios como compuestos fenólicos, terpenoides y cumarinas, algunos de los cuales han sido reportados en otras especies vegetales como responsables de la actividad antiofídica.
Subject(s)
Phenolic Compounds , HeliconiaceaeABSTRACT
En Colombia Bothrops asper (mapaná) es la especie causante del 70 al 90 por ciento de los cerca de 3.000 accidentes ofídicos informados cada año. Durante varios siglos, la medicina tradicional ha utilizado plantas para el tratamiento de la mordedura de serpiente. En nuestro país, el 60 por ciento de las mordeduras son atendidas inicialmente por curanderos o chamanes, que usan al menos 100 especies de plantas medicinales en diferentes formas, de acuerdo al estado clínico del paciente. En este estudio se evaluó la capacidad inhibitoria de tres especies de la familia Heliconiaceae, H. latispatha Benth, H. wagneriana Petersen y H. curtispatha Petersen, sobre los efectos proteolítico, coagulante y hemolítico indirecto inducido por el veneno de Botrhops asper. La primera indujo un mayor porcentaje de inhibición del efecto hemolítico indirecto del veneno de B. asper que la Heliconia wagneriana, así como una reducción en la intensidad en las proteínas del veneno con masa molecular de 14 KDa, mientras que el extracto de la segunda planta mostró una mayor inhibición del efecto proteolítico inducido por el veneno de B. asper, así como mayores cambios en las bandas de proteína del veneno con masas moleculares entre 95 y 110 KDa. El extracto de Heliconia curtispatha, mostró la mayor capacidad inhibitoria de los efectos hemolítico, proteolítico y coagulante; además indujo una degradación de todas las proteínas del veneno completo de B. asper, como había sido reportado previamente
