Title:Role of Plant-derived Bioactive Compounds in Potential Snakebite Envenoming: A Review
Volume: 4
Author(s): Subramanian Mohanraj*, Arthanari Saravanakumar, Parthiban Periyasamy, Santhosh Kumar Chinnaiyan, Nivedha Vijayan, Vinodha Jambulingaeswaran and Kokila Murugan
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmacology, Vellalar College of Pharmacy, Erode, 638012, Tamilnadu, India
Keywords:
Medicinal plants, snake venom, antivenom, bioactive compounds, tropical nations, public health, hypersensitivity complications.
Abstract:
The issue of snakebite continues to be a distinctive matter of public health in various
regions across the globe, with a particular emphasis on India, where the ailment is widely prevalent.
Snakebites in the country disproportionately affect rural and indigenous populations, resulting
in some of the highest morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Regrettably, in numerous
tropical nations, the accessibility of antivenom is frequently postponed or restricted, thereby
rendering antiserum the only targeted therapeutic alternative. Nevertheless, administering antiserum
in isolation does not provide adequate safeguard against the adverse effects of venomtriggered
hypersensitivity complications, which may be grave. Hence, this study aims to review
the plant-derived bioactive compounds used to treat snakebites in India. This review compiles
a list of medicinal plants and plant-derived bioactive compounds used in treating snakebites in
India, which were reviewed from the available literature in public databases (PubMed, Science
Direct, Springer, and Scopus). Search words used were 'bioactive compounds,' 'treatment for a
snakebite,' 'antivenom and snakebite,' 'Medicinal plants for snakebite, and 'composition of
snake venom'.
A list of 200 medicinal plants traditionally used in several countries for treating snake bites was
obtained. Based on scientific data, we reviewed only 83 medicinal plant extracts and bioactive
compounds obtained from various families, tested under in-vivo and in-vitro conditions to determine
their neutralization potency of snakebite envenomation. In this article, we have presented
a comprehensive review, judgmentally analyzed medicinal plants and their bioactive
compounds for their therapeutic potential against snake envenomation, and offer a thorough
discourse on diverse herbal plants employed globally for managing snakebites.
