STUDY OF NEUTRALIZATION OF ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY OF DABOIA RUSSELII VENOM BY VARIOUS PLANT EXTRACTS AND THEIR COMBINATIONS USING IN VITRO METHODS

Snakebite is an important cause of morbidity and mortality and is one of the major health problems in India. Russell’s viper (Daboia russelli) appears to be the commonest cause of fatal snakebite in many Asian countries and especially in the Indian subcontinent. Intravenous administration of anti venom serum neutralizes the systemic actions, but it is of little effect on the reversal of local symptoms and often induces adverse reactions, a context that drives the search for complementary treatments for snakebite accidents. Plant extracts with a range of antiophidian activities constitute an excellent alternative. The methanolic extracts of seeds of Pongamia pinnata, fruits of Piper longum and Sapindus laurifolius and leaves of Adhatoda zeylanica were tested for the snake venom neutralizing capacity using in vitro methods. The venom of Daboia russelii (Russell’s viper) was used to evaluate the antivenom activity of these extracts individually and in combinations. The parameters assessed were the neutralization of procoagulant activity, proteolytic activity and phospholipase A2 activity. All the extracts studied exhibited significant activity in neutralizing the venom effects and among the four extracts tested Pongamia pinnata showed superior activity followed by Piper longum. The present study suggests the effectiveness of the above extracts in the treatment of snake bite and also supports the use of herbal extracts by tribal and Vaidya’s.