Studies on pharmacological and biochemical effects of Indian saw scaled viper venom and its inhibition by Acalypha fruticosa leaves extract

Abstract

Snakebite is a significant cause of death and disability in subsistent farming populations of rural India. Though antisnake venom serum is the only therapeutic remedy available for treating the victims till date, much scientific attention has also been given to the identification and isolation of plant derived principles for the treatment of snakebite victims during last two decades. E. carinatus bite is a serious threat to South Asian countries including India, as it causes the highest number of deaths and debilitating sustained tissue necrosis at the bite site. Acalypha fruticosa (Euphorbiaceae), one such shrubby plant species, generally distributed in the southern Western Ghats of India upto 1800m above mean sea level is traditionally prescribed by the local medical practitioners in the western districts of Tamil Nadu, India (Villupuram, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Dindugal) for various ailments. The leaves are prescribed for digestive troubles such as dyspepsia, colic and diarrhea and even to treat cholera. Leaves are used to treat burns and often used for venomous bites and stings. In the present study, the ethanolic extract of A. fruticosa leaves was used to evaluate the antisnake venom activity against the Indian saw scaled viper venom. The ethanolic extract was effectively inhibited the enzyme activity that present in Indian saw scaled viper venom which play a major role in the lethal effects.