Potential antivenom activity from Malaysian common herbs and medicinal plant on the venom of Malaysian venomous snakes with medical importance

Snake envenomation is a risk that every Malaysian and visitor to the country are facing. It is estimated that Malaysia has up to 650 snakebites per 100, 000 populations per year with a higher number of mortality and morbidity recorded from the northern states of peninsular Malaysia. The only treatment against snake envenomation is antivenom produced from horses, however, it is associated with many drawbacks including anaphylactic reactions. Extracts from some medicinal plants have been described to have potential antivenom activity but only a few have been investigated using common herbs/medicinal plants from Malaysia on the local and common venomous snakes with medical importance. In this proposed study, we aimed to investigate the potential antivenom activity from local sources such as Zingiber officinale (Ginger), Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (Light blue snakeweed), Mimosa pudica (Touch-me-not plant), and Orthosiphon stamineus (Cat's whiskers plant). Key techniques that will be utilised in the project include liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), proteomic data analysis, in-vitro/laboratory-based experiments and animal studies.