Studies on antivenom activity of Lactuca serriola methanolic extract against Buthus atlantis scorpion venom by in vivo methods

Abstract Lactuca serriola is a well-known plant in the El kalaa of Sraghna region that occupies an important place in traditional medicine for its alleged effectiveness against the venom of scorpions and snakes. This work aims to study the neutralizing capacity of Lactuca serriola extracts on scorpion Buthus atlantis venom by histological and biochemical analyses. In this study we test for the first time, the anti-venom activity of Lactuca serriola against Buthus atlantis venom by fixing the dose of venom at LD99, while the dose of the extract was variable (0.5, 2 g/kg). Histological changes in vital organs as well as biochemical changes in mice were recorded. The quantification and qualification of polyphenols were performed by High Performance Liquid phase Chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the LD50 of Buthus atlantis venom subcutaneously is 0.4 mg/kg, and the methanolic extract of the plant Lactuca serriola at the dose of 2 g/kg administered orally had a 66.66% protective capacity. Based on the results of the histological and biochemical study, the effect of the venom revealed tissue damage and enzyme imbalance, whereas the administration of the plant extract showed restoration of lesions in the different tissues, and a counteraction of the serum enzyme imbalance. HPLC analysis of the polyphenols revealed the presence of chlorogenic acid, sorbic acid, coumaric acid and quercetin. The present study supports the traditional use of Lactuca serriola as anti-venom and the potential for natural product drug discovery.