Inhibition of neuromuscular blockade induced by Bothrops jararacussu snake venom by Casearia gossypiosperma Briquet hydroalcoholic extract

Camargo TM (1), Silva MG (1), Cogo JC (2), Groppo FC (3), Oshima-Franco Y (1)

(1) School of Pharmacy, University of Sorocaba, UNISO, Sorocaba, São Paulo State, Brazil; (2) Vale do Paraíba University, UNIVAP, São José dos Campos, São Paulo State, Brazil; (3) Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Piracicaba, São Paulo State, Brazil.

ABSTRACT: The categorization of Casearia gossypiosperma Briquet (Flacourtiaceae) through quality control procedures including pharmacognostic methods and fingerprint chromatograms, defining amounts of marker substances and physicochemical characteristics, was carried out for the first time. A pharmacological ability of C. gossypiosperma hydroalcoholic extract (Cg) was assayed by a traditional in vitro evaluation. The extract was tested in the irreversible neuromuscular blockade induced by Bothrops jararacussu (Bjssu, 60 mcg/mL) in mouse nerve phrenic diaphragm preparations. Bjssu blocked muscle activity for 26 (± 2.0) minutes (n = 6). The Cg extract (0.1 mg/mL) induced changes on the baseline muscle activity without damaging the muscle function and inhibited 87.6% (± 1.8) (n = 6) of Bjssu-induced muscle blockade. Both flavonoids (0.624 g%) and polyphenols (4.63 g%)  were spectrophotometrically quantified in the extract. Therefore, the present study confirms the bothropic inhibitory activity by Cg extract, supporting the ethnomedical use of Casearia sp. in the treatment of snakebite victims.

KEY WORDS: antibothropic extract, Bothrops jararacussu, Casearia gossypiosperma Briquet, snake venoms.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

YOKO OSHIMA-FRANCO, Universidade de Sorocaba, UNISO, Cidade Universitária, Rodovia Raposo Tavares, km 92,5, Sorocaba, SP, 18.023-000, Brasil. Phone: +55 15 2101 7041. Fax: +55 15 2101 7112. Email: yoko.franco@prof.uniso.br