title: Main plants used in traditional medicine for the treatment of snake bites n the regions of the department of Antioquia, Colombia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Colombia, more than 4.000 ophidian accidents occur per year and due to the scarce distribution and limited availability of antivenom, the use of traditional medicine has been perpetuated in some of its rural communities, in which initially, those affected are treated by healers and shamans using medicinal plants in different ways.
  
  
  METHODS
  Research was conducted with renowned healers or connoisseurs of plants on the ethnobotany of ophidian accidents in five different areas and their municipalities of Antioquia: Magdalena Medio (Caracolí, Puerto Berrío); Bajo Cauca (Caucasia, Zaragoza); Nordeste (San Roque, Yalí); Norte (Gómez Plata, Valdivia); Suroeste (Ciudad Bolívar, Salgar); collecting information related to experience and time of use of plants in the treatment of these poisonings, amounts used, ways of use (beverage, bathing, ointment, chupaderas, vapors), preparation types (maceration or decoction) and treatment duration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  71 plant species were identified and collected, 49.29% of them without previous reports as antiophidian and 38.0% employed for the same purpose in other geographical areas. The leaves (24.82%), stems (11.68%) and flowers (10.95%) were found to be the most frequently employed structures in the preparation of the extracts, which are usually prepared by decoction (83.94%), maceration (6.57%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this work, specimens lacking previous ethnobotanical reports have been found, plants used by ethnic groups from other regions of Antioquia and the world to treat snake bites; and herbaceous plants whose inhibitory activity of symptoms produced by some snake venoms, has been experimentally verified by in vivo and in vitro tests.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Ofidismo/Escorpionismo, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Electronic address: julivaes@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Julieta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vásquez
authors.affiliation: Programa de Ofidismo/Escorpionismo, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Electronic address: juan.alarcon@siu.udea.edu.co.
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Alarcón
authors.affiliation: Programa de Ofidismo/Escorpionismo, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Electronic address: sjimenez@udea.edu.co.
authors.forename: Silvia L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Programa de Ofidismo/Escorpionismo, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Electronic address: gjarami@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gloria I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Jaramillo
authors.affiliation: Programa de Ofidismo/Escorpionismo, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Electronic address: isago77@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Isabel C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Gómez-Betancur
authors.affiliation: Programa de Ofidismo/Escorpionismo, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Electronic address: ofidpa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: J Paola
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rey-Suárez
authors.affiliation: Programa de Ofidismo/Escorpionismo, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Electronic address: karenjafer928@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Jaramillo
authors.affiliation: Programa de Ofidismo/Escorpionismo, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Electronic address: dianacmt@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Diana C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.affiliation: Programa de Ofidismo/Escorpionismo, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Electronic address: daniela55e@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Daniela M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Marín
authors.affiliation: Programa de Ofidismo/Escorpionismo, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Electronic address: jorm.90@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jefferson O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Romero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000997:Antivenins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003105:Colombia; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D012909:Snake Bites / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000997:Antivenins; D028321:Plant Preparations
keywords: Antioquia; Colombia; Ethnobotany; Ophidian accident