Rosa Helena’s research while affiliated with Federal University of Western Pará and other places

Resumo Na região Amazônica do Brasil a maioria dos acidentes ofídicos é atribuída para a espécie Bothrops atrox. O envenenamento por estas serpentes induz reações locais e sistêmicas dependendo da gravidade do acidente. Dentre as reações locais estão presentes: edema, dor, hemorragia, necrose e mionecrose; e nas sistêmicas, principalmente, os distúrbios da coagulação sanguínea e a hemorragia. O único tratamento preconizado pelo Ministério da Saúde, nos casos de envenenamento por serpentes, é a aplicação de soro antiofídico específico. No entanto, em regiões de difícil acesso a esta terapia, como é o caso da Amazônia, muitas espécies vegetais, da medicina popular, são utilizadas na tentativa de bloquear as atividades biológicas induzidas pelos venenos de serpentes. Algumas dessas espécies vegetais estão sendo estudadas, no intuito de validar o seu uso como antiofídicas. Nesse sentido, essa revisão apresenta o perfil dos acidentes ofídicos no Brasil, com ênfase na Região Norte, e os tratamentos alternativo e complementar à soroterapia convencional com enfoque na espécie vegetal Amazônica Bellucia dichotoma Cogn. (Melastomataceae). Palavras-Chave: Ofidismo, plantas antiofídicas, medicina popular, doenças negligenciadas. Abstract In the Amazon region of Brazil most snakebites are attributed to Bothrops atrox species. The envenomation caused by these snakes induces local and systemic reactions depending on the severity of the accident. Local reactions include swelling, pain, hemorrhage, necrosis and myonecrosis, while the main systemic reactions are blood coagulation and bleeding disorders. The only treatment recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health in cases of snakebite envenomation is the application of specific antivenom. However, in areas without easy access to this therapy, such as the Amazon, many plants species from folk medicine are used in an attempt to block the biological activities induced by snake venoms. Some of these plant species are being studied to validate their use for snakebites. This review discusses snakebites in Brazil, with an emphasis on the North of the country, and considers alternative and complementary treatments to conventional serum therapy with particular reference to the Amazon plant species Bellucia dichotoma Cogn. (Melastomataceae).

Anti-nocicceptive and anti-oedematotogenic effects of Bumelia sartorum bark were tested by experimental models of nocciception in mouse and paw oedema induced by carrageenin in rats. The aquous extract (0,2 and 0,4 g/kg) reduced 37% and 68,8% the nocicception produced by acetic acid; the formalin (1%) reductive effect was 26,6% and 30% in the first phase and 75,9% and 18,9% in the second phase. In the formalin test the nocicceptive effect of the B. sartorum bark aquous extract, as well as the morfine, was reversed by nalaxone (5 mg/kg). In the paw oedema test induced by carrageenin (1%) the B. sartorum aquous extract (0,1; 0,2 and 0,4 g/kg) inhibited 19,4%, 16,5% and 17,8% the oedema. The acute toxicity (DL50) up to the dosis of 5 g/kg was low in mouse. The aquous extract of the B. sartorum bark showed anti-oedematogenic and anti-nocicceptive effects in the tested models, with the anti-nocicceptive one associated to the opioid system.