Protective Effects of the Aqueous Extract of Malva sylvestris Plant against the Lethality and Histopathological Damage in Experimental Envenoming of Hemiscorpius lepturus Venom in Balb/c Mice

Sayyed Matin Ahmadi; Mohammad Yousofpour; Mohammad Kamalinejad; Arman Otroshi; Fereshteh Talebpour Amiri; Abbas Alipour; Mohammad Reza Zareinejad; Delavar Shahbazzadeh

doi:10.2174/0113816128296935240502070245

Protective Effects of the Aqueous Extract of Malva sylvestris Plant against the Lethality and Histopathological Damage in Experimental Envenoming of Hemiscorpius lepturus Venom in Balb/c Mice

Curr Pharm Des. 2024 May 16. doi: 10.2174/0113816128296935240502070245. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Sayyed Matin Ahmadi¹, Mohammad Yousofpour^{2

3}, Mohammad Kamalinejad⁴, Arman Otroshi⁵, Fereshteh Talebpour Amiri⁶, Abbas Alipour⁷, Mohammad Reza Zareinejad⁸, Delavar Shahbazzadeh⁸

Affiliations

¹ Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
² Department of Persian Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
³ Department of Traditional Medicine, Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
⁴ Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁵ Isfahan Clinical Toxicology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁶ Department of Anatomy, Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
⁷ Community Medicine Department, Medical Faculty, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
⁸ Biotechnology Research Center, Medical Biotechnology Department, Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab., Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.

PMID: 38757320
DOI: 10.2174/0113816128296935240502070245

Abstract

Introduction: Hemiscorpius lepturus envenomation is a serious health problem in the southern provinces of Iran. The antiserum produced in Iran to counteract this scorpion venom is not entirely effective due to the risk of anaphylactic shock and other adverse effects.

Methods: Therefore, more efficient alternatives to treat patients deserve attention, and plants are extensively good candidates to be studied. This study aimed to assess the potential of the aqueous fraction of Malva sylvestris in inhibiting the toxic effects of H. lepturus venom. Injection of sub-lethal dose of H. lepturus venom leads to severe tissue damage in vital organs including the kidney, liver, heart and intestine, after 24 hours.

Results: By injecting 80 mg of the aqueous extract of M. sylvestris into the peritoneum helped treat the damaged tissues caused by H. lepturus venom in mice.

Conclusion: Thus, Malva sylvestris could serve as an alternative treatment for scorpion sting envenomation and may be used as a drug to neutralize relevant toxic effects in patients stung by H. lepturus.

Keywords: Hemiscorpius lepturus; Iranian traditional medicine; Malva sylvestris (PANIRAK); Scorpion envenomation; drug lead..