Scorpion antivenom effect of micropropagated Aristolochia elegans

Alejandro Mora Izquierdo, Elsa Ventura Zapata, J. Enrique Jiménez-Ferrer, Crescencio Bazaldúa Muñoz, Antonio Jiménez Aparicio, Kalina Bermdez Torres, Lidia Osuna Torres

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

Aristolochia elegans Mast. (Aristolochiaceae) has been used to treat scorpion envenoming in Mexican traditional medicine. In vitro studies of the pharmacological activity of raw extracts from A. elegans roots have shown activity against scorpion bite. The aim of the present study was to determine for the first time the antagonistic effect of hexane and methanol extracts of the aerial parts and roots from micropropagated A. elegans plants in a model of isolated guinea-pig ileum contracted by scorpion bite. Results showed that the methanol extracts of aerial organs (74%) and roots (65%) of micropropagated plants have a similar antitoxin activity against scorpion poisoning to hexane extracts of wild plants (65%). These results suggest that using methanol extracts from the micropropagated plant material instead of wild plant root extracts from A. elegans is an alternative for treatment against scorpion bite symptoms, and will contribute to the conservation of this medicinal species.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)891-896
Number of pages6
JournalPharmaceutical Biology
Volume48
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Aug 2010

Keywords

  • Centruroides limpidus limpidus Karsch
  • Hexane extract
  • Isolated guinea-pig ileum model
  • Medicinal plant
  • Methanol extract
  • Relaxation test

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