Potentials of Parkia biglobosa and Annona senegalensis as antidote to snake species common in Northwestern Nigeria: Review

Abstract

Snakebite is a neglected public health problem in tropical countries, especially in rural areas of Northwest Nigeria. However, despite the high rate of snake bites in this region, it’s still one of the most poorly documented health concerns because it often occurs to farmers in rural areas where traditional therapists are cherry-picked for emergency treatment. The venom is secreted by the oral snake glands and injected via the fangs into the victim’s hands, feet, arms, or legs. The most common snakebite cases in Northwestern Nigeria are Echis ocellatus (African carpet viper), Naja nigricolis (Spitting cobra), and Bitis arietans (Puff adder), with high mortality and morbidity rates in the region. Immunotherapy is the only known snake antivenom, but the limitations and side effects associated with the therapy, such as serum sickness, pyrogen and geographical inter-specific venom variation, has led to the search for another means to treat snake bites. Medicinal plants were the firstline investigations for the snakebite antidote. Recent ethnopharmacological studies revealed several medicinal plants with promising potentials to treat snakebites in Northern Nigeria. This review aimed to document and compile the recent scientific works carried out on the potentials of Parkia biglobosa and Annona senegalensis against snake venom common in Northwest Nigeria. The methodology used in literature synthesis is the qualitative description and content analysis of recent studies onplants with potential activities against snake venoms. The result showed that the potency of methanol extracts of the bark of P. biglobosa and root bark of A. senegalensis have significant potentials to detoxify (in vitro) venom from N. nigrocollis, E. ocellatus and B. arietans found in Northwest. The authors suggested proper documentations of snake bites incidences especially in rural areas where access to effective medications is very limited.