Papaya Leaf Having Anti-Snake Venom Property: A Review

  • Dr. Vishal P Balaramnavar

Abstract

Traditional systems of medicines are being utilized by a large number of rural people for several ailments. Among the major cause of concern for them are the occurrences of snake bites leading to tissue injury or even death. The recommended mode of treatment for snake bites is the World Health Organization’s recommended anti-snake venom serum, commonly known as the anti-dote. The anti-dote or anti-snake venom serum though is freely available at government health care centres yet is marred by lack of specificity, inept handling and storage due to which anti-dotes which are universal for all types of snake venom and can be stored at room temperature are most required. In India, most of the venomous snakes belong to the Viperidae & Elapidae families. In this paper, venom of the Flavanoids has been reported to have anti-snake venom activity due to which the leaf of papaya (Carica papya) was selected for its high flavonoid content. In the present study, the effective concentration 50 (EC50) of the Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) was determined on sheep’s plasma at 5.45 𝜇g/mL and the aqueous extract of papaya leaf was found efficient to prevent proteolysis. Next, the minimum coagulant dose (MCD) was calculated at 5.54 μg/ml for sheep’s plasma and the aqueous extract of papaya leaf was seen to delay venom induced plasma clotting. An analysis of these results indicate that papaya leaf can be used as a source of anti-snake venom.