Antivenom Activity of Solanum xanthocarpum Hydroethanolic Root Extract Targeting the Enzymes Present in Naja Snake Venom

Background: The work reported in this paper targets the ethnobotanical role of one of the traditional medicinal plant Solanum xanthocarpum, whose medicinal value was reported in Ayurveda. Traditionally Solanum xanthocarpum was used as the antidote for treatment of snake bites by different tribal community of India, to explore and scientifically validate these concept this work was planned. Methods: We have prepared the hydro ethanolic root extract (HERE) of Solanum xanthocarpum and investigated its pharmacological activity both in vitro and in vivo, targeting the enzymes present in Naja snake venom. We have used the wistar albino rat as the animal model in our study. Result: It was inferred by our study that Solanum xanthocarpum is safe for wistar albino rats upto 2000 mg/kg body weight. Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and anti-fibrinogenolytic activity are significantly neutralized by Solanum xanthocarpum. Dose dependent inhibition of human red blood cell (HRBC) lysis was also observed. In the future, bioactive compounds from HERE could be isolated and standardized to act as an antidote to Naja venom.