Pharmacological Screening of Plants Recommended by Folk Medicine as Snake Venom Antidotes; IV. Protection against Jararaca Venom by Isolated Constituents1

Abstract Fifteen Compounds, isolated from plants reputed as snake venom antidotes, belonging to different classes of natural products, were shown to protect mice to a significant degree against the lethal action of the venom of BOTHROPS JARARACA snakes. Administration was by the oral route, one hour prior to envenomation. The substances are nitrogen-free, low-molecular-weight compounds for which some kind of biodynamic activity has previously been reported. The fact that they are mostly trivial, naturally-occurring compounds should explain why plants used as snake-bite antidotes are so widely distributed over the plant kingdom.