Botanical treatments for snakebite in rural Ghana: A narrative review

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: In the countryside, there are some limitations with the use of venom antisera to manage snake bites. Due to poor access to healthcare and as a result of the difficulty in receiving treatment for cases of snake bites, most rural people in Ghana, a West African country, rely on plant medicine as a first aid to manage cases of venomous snakebite. This calls for more research into the species of plants used to medically manage snakebite envenomation.

Aim of the study: This review sought to present plants that are used in managing snakebite cases and also gather data supporting their use.

Methodology: This is a systematic search and review of information obtained from textbooks and databases such as PubMed and ScienceDirect between January 1975 and August 2020.

Results: A search done identified 43 plant species and these were found to belong to 25 taxonomic families with the most frequent ones being, Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Apocynaceae, and Solanaceae. Experimental data gathered indicate that among the many plants identified to be used to manage snakebites, only 5 were found with anti-venom in vitro and in vivo evidence-based data.

Conclusion: Data collated hint that a few plant species identified namely Anacardium occidentale, Euphorbia hirta, Mimosa pudica, Musa paradisiaca and Mangifera indica, work by targeting diverse physiopathological and biochemical processes involved in the clinical manifestations of snakebites. This review has also unearthed knowledge gaps that can form the basis for broad investigations and development of these and other medicinal plants into useful anti-venom medications.

Keywords: Anti-Venom; Envenomation; Ghana; Medicinal plants; Snakebites.