Snakebite envenomation (SBE) is a significant public health concern, especially in the rural tropics. Current antivenom immunotherapy presents several drawbacks pertaining to limited efficacy, availability, and specificity. Medicinal plants present a promising alternative, given that they are rich in bioactive constituents, and have been utilised for their therapeutic properties since ancient times. Recent advancements in omics technologies, particularly metabolomics, have enabled comprehensive profiling of bioactive constituents in these medicinal plants. Original articles from Jan 2014 to Dec 2024 were obtained from five databases, and the PRISMA flowchart was implemented as a guideline for article inclusion and exclusion. Finally, 21 eligible articles were selected for data extraction in this scoping review. This review consolidates current knowledge on ethnomedicinal plants traditionally used to treat SBE, including their phytochemical profiles obtained using mass spectrometry-based approaches, their anti-ophidian (snake antivenom) properties assessed through in vitro and/or in vivo bioassays, and the proposed mechanisms of action underlying their anti-ophidic activities. The collective findings reveal a diverse array of secondary metabolites with demonstrated anti-ophidian potential, supporting future bioprospecting efforts aimed to isolate and purify key bioactive metabolites via bioassay-guided approaches for the development of natural anti-ophidian therapeutics.
Chong et al. (Thu,) studied this question.