Avaliação da atividade do óleo de andiroba (Carapa guianensis Aublet, 1775) na inflamação local induzida por venenos de serpentes Amazônicas

Abstract

In the Amazon the accidents caused by venomous snakes represent a serious public health problem. Serotherapy neutralizes the systemic effects from the venoms, but not local effects; therefore, there is need for research on natural inhibitors of the local effects from snake envenomation. Andiroba (Carapa guianensis Aublet, 1775) is a plant from tropical and equatorial forests and its seeds produce an oil which has medicinal properties, with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic activities, and wound healing properties, besides being a fine repellent. With the objective of evaluating the activity of the andiroba oil on the local inflammation induced by Amazonian snakes, an experimental study was done on the general pharmacological effects of the andiroba oil and on the inflammatory process induced in mice by the venoms of Bothrops atrox and Crotalus durissus ruruima, two snakes species of epidemiological importance in the Amazon region. The inhibitory kinetics of the edema in mice was evaluated by measuring the paw edema diameter and by histopathological methods. There was a significant inhibition in the inflammatory infiltrate of 87,03% and 82,10% after 3 and 12 hours respectively, after treating with andiroba oil the paws induced with the venom of Bothrops atrox. With the venom of Crotalus durissus ruruima inhibition reached 89,37% and 75,60% after 3 and 6 hours respectively, after treatment with andiroba oil. There was significant reduction in the kinetics of the edema induced by the venom of Bothrops atrox (37,67%) and of Crotalus durissus ruruima (42,41%) as early as the first hour of treatment with andiroba oil. This reduction progressed to 50,64% (for Bothrops atrox) and 82,37% (Crotalus durissus ruruima) after three hours after treatment. Histologically, it was observed a reduction of the edema induced by Bothrops atrox venom by 29,18% after 3 hours. With the venom of Crotalus durissus ruruima the reduction of the edema was 30,87% after 3 hours. Neither haemorrhagy nor myonecrosis were reduced or inhibited by andiroba oil administrated intraperitoneally. It is suggested that the inhibitory activity of Carapa guianensis could be related to leucocitary migration reduction