Exploring nature's antidote: unveiling the inhibitory potential of selected medicinal plants from Kisumu, Kenya against venom from some snakes of medical significance in sub-Saharan Africa

• Published in: Frontiers in pharmacology 2024, Vol.15, p.1369768-1369768
• Main Authors: Okumu, Mitchel, Mbaria, James, Gikunju, Joseph, Mbuthia, Paul, Madadi, Vincent, Ochola, Francis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bitis arietans; medicinal plants; Naja ashei; Naja subfulva; preclinical efficacy evaluation; snake venom
• ISSN: 1663-9812; 1663-9812
• DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1369768

The present study investigated the efficacy of and against venom (BAV), venom (NAV), and venom (NSV). 40 extracts and fractions were prepared using n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. efficacy against snake venom phospholipase A (svPLA ) was determined in 96-well microtiter and agarose-egg yolk coagulation assays. efficacy against venom-induced cytotoxicity was determined using . Two commercial antivenoms were used for comparison. The 96-well microtiter assay revealed poor svPLA inhibition of BAV by antivenom (range: 20.76% ± 13.29% to 51.29% ± 3.26%) but strong inhibition (>90%) by dichloromethane and hexane fractions of , hexane and ethyl acetate extracts and fraction of , dichloromethane fraction of , and the methanol extract of . The methanol extract and fraction of , and the hexane extract of strongly inhibited (>90%) svPLA activity in NAV. The hexane and ethyl acetate fractions of and the dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts of strongly inhibited (>90%) svPLA in NSV. The agarose egg yolk coagulation assay showed significant inhibition of BAV by the dichloromethane fraction of (EC = 3.51 ± 2.58 μg/mL), significant inhibition of NAV by the methanol fraction of (EC = 7.35 ± 1.800 μg/mL), and significant inhibition of NSV by the hexane extract of (EC = 7.94 ± 1.50 μg/mL). All antivenoms were non-cytotoxic in but the methanol extract of and the hexane extracts of and were cytotoxic. The dichloromethane fraction of significantly neutralized BAV-induced cytotoxicity the methanol fraction and extract of neutralized NAV-induced cytotoxicity, while the ethyl acetate extract of significantly neutralized NSV-induced cytotoxicity. Glycosides, flavonoids, phenolics, and tannins were identified in the non-cytotoxic extracts/fractions. These findings validate the local use of and in snakebite but not , and Further work is needed to isolate pure compounds from the effective plants and identify their mechanisms of action.