Neem and traditional herbs show promise against viper venom damage
Navanita S, Rudresha GV, Samanta A, Nayak M, Selvaraj H, Raman R, Sunagar K.
Ethnobotany
The neem tree many gardeners already grow as a natural pesticide and skincare ingredient source turns out to contain azelaic acid, a compound just discovered to block snake venom damage in lab tests.
Researchers tested plants long used by traditional healers in southern India to treat snakebites from Russell's viper, one of the deadliest snakes in the region. Neem, along with two other traditional plants, best stopped the venom from causing internal bleeding, and when scientists broke neem down into its individual chemical components, they found that azelaic acid (the same ingredient found in some acne skincare products) was the standout protector, reducing bleeding damage and helping test animals survive longer after venom exposure.
Key Findings
Neem (Azadirachta indica), Aristolochia bracteolata, and Enicostemma axillare extracts showed the strongest inhibition of venom-induced hemorrhage among all plants tested.
A purified fraction (FPE5) from neem and Enicostemma protected mice against both hemorrhage and lethality caused by Russell's viper venom in live animal testing.
Azelaic acid, identified for the first time as a snake venom-neutralizing agent, was the most effective of four tested phytocompounds, significantly prolonging survival.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Extracts from neem and two other traditional healing plants used by an Indian tribal community can block some of the tissue damage and internal bleeding caused by Russell's viper venom, and a compound called azelaic acid extracted from neem turned out to be the most powerful venom-neutralizer tested.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Leaf to life: Harnessing medicinal plants as inhibitors of Russell's viper venom.
Snakebite remains a major public health challenge, particularly in rural areas of the developing world. Although antivenom is the standard treatment, it often fails to adequately address local toxi...
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