Citation

Ode OJ, Asuzu IU. Toxicon 2006; 48(3): 331-342.

Affiliation

Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.toxicon.2006.06.003

PMID

16890262

Abstract

The anti-snake venom activities of the methanolic extract of the bulb of Crinum jagus plant (Amaryllidaceae) were investigated in vitro and in vivo against the venoms of three notable snake species: Echis ocellatus, Bitis arietans and Naja nigricollis. The extract was prepared by cold marceration in 50% methanol at 37 degrees C with intermittent shaking for 48h. An yield of 12.8% w/w dry extract was obtained. Oral administration of C. jagus extract (1000mg/kg) protected 50% of mice, while injection of a 30min pre-incubated mixture of the same dose of extract and venom gave 100% protection against the lethal effects of E. ocellatus venom (10mg/kg, i.m.). The intraperitoneal administration of the extract at 250mg/kg, 30min before the injection of E. ocellatus venom (10mg/kg, i.m.), significantly (p<0.05) prolonged the death time of poisoned mice. C. jagus extract (500mg/kg, per os), gave 50% protection against B. arietans venom (9.5mg/kg, i.m.) in mice while the pre-incubation of a mixture of the same dose of venom and extract (500mg/kg), prior to injection (i.p.) of the mixture, gave only 33.3% protection. The pre-incubation of 500mg/kg of C. jagus extract with N. nigricollis venom (6mg/kg) prior to i.p. injection of the mixture protected 50% of the treated mice. There were generally no significant differences in the death times of mice that were given the same dose of the extract orally 30min before injection of the venoms and those administered with the pre-incubated mixtures of venom and extract. The pre-incubation of the extract and E. ocellatus venom (5mg/kg) for 30min, before the i.m. injection of the mixture, significantly reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells to the site of injection 4h post treatment. The concentrations of plasma creatine kinase in poisoned mice were significantly (p<0.01 or p<0.05) reduced after the injection (i.p.) of C. jagus extract (1000mg/kg) pre-incubated with E. ocellatus (5mg/kg) or B. arietans (7mg/kg) venom, respectively. The bulb extract of C. jagus blocked the haemorrhagic activity of a standard haemorrhagic dose (2.8mg/ml) of E. ocellatus venom at various concentrations (1.7, 3.3 and 6.7mg/ml). The methanolic bulb extract of C. jagus was therefore able to significantly protect mice from death, myonecrosis and haemorrhage induced by the lethal effects of venoms of notable snake species in Nigeria.

Language: en