02060nas a2200217 4500000000100000008004100001653000900042653002100051653001500072653001700087100001900104700002000123700001700143700002500160245014900185856003200334300000700366490000900373520144600382022001401828 2017 d10aNTDs10aMedicinal plants10aSnakebites10aSnake venoms1 aFĂ©lix-Silva J1 aSilva-Junior AA1 aZucolotto SM1 aFernandes-Pedrosa MF00aMedicinal plants for the treatment of local tissue damage induced by snake venoms: An overview from traditional use to pharmacological evidence. uhttp://tinyurl.com/ycc9l2nw a520 v20173 a

Snakebites are a serious problem in public health due to their high morbimortality. Most of snake venoms produce intense local tissue damage, which could lead to temporary or permanent disability in victims. The available specific treatment is the antivenom serum therapy, whose effectiveness is reduced against these effects.Thus, the search for complementary alternatives for snakebite treatment is relevant. There are several reports of the popular use of medicinal plants against snakebites worldwide. In recent years, many studies have been published giving pharmacological evidence of benefits of several vegetal species against local effects induced by a broad range of snake venoms, including inhibitory potential against hyaluronidase, phospholipase, proteolytic, hemorrhagic, myotoxic, and edematogenic activities. In this context, this review aimed to provide an updated overview of medicinal plants used popularly as antiophidic agents and discuss the main species with pharmacological studies supporting the uses, with emphasis on plants inhibiting local effects of snake envenomation. The present review provides an updated scenario and insights into future research aiming at validation of medicinal plants as antiophidic agents and strengthens the potentiality of ethnopharmacology as a tool for design of potent inhibitors and/or development of herbal medicines against venom toxins, especially local tissue damage.

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