title: Edema induced by Bothrops asper (Squamata: Viperidae) snake venom and its inhibition by Costa Rican plant extracts.
abstract: We tested the capacity of leaf (Urera baccifera, Loasa speciosa, Urtica leptuphylla, Chaptalia nutans, and Satureja viminea) and root (Uncaria tomentosa) extracts to inhibit edema induced by Bothrops asper snake venom. Edema-forming activity was studied plethysmographically in the rat hind paw model. Groups of rats were injected intraperitoneally with various doses of each extract and, one hour later, venom was injected subcutaneously in the right hind paw. Edema was assessed at various time intervals. The edematogenic activity was inhibited in those animals that received an injection U. tomentosa, C. nutans or L. speciosa extract. The extract of U. baccifera showed a slight inhibition of the venom effect. Extract from S. viminea and, to a lesser extent that of U. leptuphylla, induced a pro-inflammatory effect, increasing the edema at doses of 250 mg/kg at one and two hours.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacéuticas, INIFAR, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Costa Rica. bbadilla@cariari.ucr.ac.cr
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Badilla
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.forename: Luis J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Poveda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000997:Antivenins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017837:Bothrops; D003364:Costa Rica; D003435:Crotalid Venoms / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000997:Antivenins; D003435:Crotalid Venoms; D010936:Plant Extracts