title: [Use of medicinal plants against scorpionic and ophidian venoms].
abstract: The scorpionic and ophidian envenomations are a serious public health problem in Tunisia especially in Southeastern regions. In these regions Artemisia campestris L is a plant well known which has a very important place in traditional medicine for its effectiveness against alleged venom of scorpions and snakes. In this work, we tested for the first time, the anti-venomous activity of Artemisia campestris L against the scorpion Androctonus australis garzonii and the viper Macrovipera lebetina venoms. Assays were conducted by fixing the dose of extract to3 mg/mouse while doses of venom are variable. The leaves of Artemisia campestris L were extracted by various organic solvents (Ether of oil, ethyl acetate, methanol and ethanol) and each extract was tested for its venom neutralizing capacity. For the ethanolic extract, a significant activity with respect to the venoms of scorpion Androctonus australis garzonii (Aag), was detected. Similarly, a significant neutralizing activity against the venom of a viper Macrovipera lebetina (Ml), was obtained with the dichloromethane extract. These results suggest the presence of two different type of chemical components in this plant: those neutralizing the venom of scorpion are soluble in ethanol whereas those neutralizing the venom of viper are soluble in dichloromethane.
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Pharmacie, rue Avicenne 5009, Monastir, Tunisie.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Memmi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sansa
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rjeibi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El Ayeb
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Srairi-Abid
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bellasfer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fekhih
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019306:Artemisia / Q000737:chemistry; D001681:Biological Assay; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D000431:Ethanol; D006801:Humans; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D000432:Methanol; D051379:Mice; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018515:Plant Leaves; D065008:Scorpion Stings / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D012605:Scorpions; D012909:Snake Bites / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012995:Solubility; D012997:Solvents; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014757:Viper Venoms / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D012604:Scorpion Venoms; D012997:Solvents; D014757:Viper Venoms; D000431:Ethanol; D000432:Methanol