Efeitos de extratos vegetais sobre atividades biológicas induzidas por peçonhas botrópicas

Abstract

In Brazil, medicinal plants of native flora are consumed with little or no proof of its medicinal properties, propagated by users or dealers. The researchers conducted to evaluate the safe use of medicinal plants and phytomedicines in Brazil are still incipient. In this context, this paper aimed to verify the actions of plants popularly indicated as antiophidic by population of Santarém-PA, compared to the crude venom of snakes of the genus Bothrops as an experimental model. In order to identify the plants used as antiophidics by the population of Santarém-PA, was first conducted an ethnobotanical study at communities São Pedro, Cucurunã, Alter do Chão and central market of Santarém. 24 plants were cited for use in snakebite distributed among 22 different families, of which 12 plants (Bellucia dichotoma, Aniba fragrans, Annona montana, Connarus favosus, Justicia sp., Plathymenia reticulata, Philodendron megalophyllum, Cassia fistula, Libidibea ferrea, Crateva benthami, Kalanchoe brasiliensis and Dipterix odorata) were most frequently mentioned by respondents. The 12 plants had the the phytochemistry stroke after the identification and were tested for action against anti-venom serum hemorrhage caused by crude venom of Bothropoides jararaca. The extracts of B. dichotoma, C. favosus, P.reticulata and P. megalophylum presented several classes of secondary metabolites, including the presence of coumarins, flavonoids, fatty acids, anthraquinones and terpenes and were able to completely inhibit hemorrhage caused by crude venom of B. jararaca. The five species (P. reticulata, C. favosus, A. fragrans, P. megalophyllum and B. dichotoma) were also evaluated against hemorrhagic activity, phospholipase, coagulant and edema induced by venom of Bothrops atrox. The extract B. dichotoma inhibited 100% all the activities evaluated. Thus, a method was developed to isolate the chemical constituents of B. dichotoma. At present can be proposed that the aqueous extract of B. dichotoma has potent neutralizing properties of crude snake venoms of the genus Bothrops. However, it is not possible to infer which the constituent or synergisms between the classes present in this extract is responsible for the inhibition observed.