The Effects of Bezoar on the Echis carinatus Snake Venom Poisoning in Mice Abstract

The Bezoar, a dense material found in the stomach of wild goat, is widely used against various diseases including snakebite in traditional medicine among the southeast tribes of Iran. This study was performed to evaluate the Bezoar effect on experimental mice receiving 2% and 10% concentrations of natural crude of Echis carinatus snake venom. Various doses of Bezoar (6, 50, 100 & 200 mg/kg/i.p) were injected. The clinical signs, mean survival time and autopsy findings were recorded 20 minute after intraperitoneal (i.p) administration of snake venom 2% and the data were compared with control group mice which received saline. In 10% concentration snake venom, the mice received the most effective dose of Bezoar ( 100 mg/kg/i.p). Bezoar administration (50 & 100 mg/kg) increased the survival time and significantly attenuated the pathologic signs (such as bleeding inretroperitoneal space and thoracic cavity , CNS and lung vascular congestion) caused by 2% and 10% Echis carinatus snake venom as compared to controls (p<0.05). The exact mechanism(s) by which the Bezoar prolongs the survival time and attenuates the pathologic consequences of Echis carinatus snake venom in mice is not known completely and needs further investigations to elucidate the underlying mechanism (s).