BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF BARTOGENIC ACID GLUCOSYL HEXAACETATE ISOLATED FROM COMBRETUM MICRANTHUM ON PLASMA RECALCIFICATION TIME OF NAJA KATIENSIS AND BITIS ARIETANS VENOMS

*Abdullahi Balarabe Sallau, Habib Umar DanMalan, Abdullahi AbdulMalik Salman, Yusuf Tauhid, Yusuf Opemile

ABSTRACT

Biological effect of bartogenic acid 28-β-D-glucosyl hexaacetate (BA), a triterpenoid, isolated from the root of Combretum micranthum on recalcification time of bovine plasma treated with Naja katiensis and Bitis arietans venoms was investigated. The plasma recalcification time (PRT) was found to be effectively reduced in a dose dependent fashion. Inhibition of 73.2 % at 1 mg/ml BA on the elongation of the PRT by N. katiensis venom was obtained. This was however found to decrease to a low level of 5.4 % when 0.001 mg/ml of BA was used. Similarly, the highest and lowest inhibition values of 47.7 % and 28.6 % at 1 mg/ml and 0.001 mg/ml doses of BA on the elongation of the PRT by B. arietans venom were obtained respectively. This study showed that BA could effectively serve as an inhibitor of snake venom induced bleeding, as it was shown to quantitatively reduce the plasma recalcification time.

Keywords: Triterpenoid, plasma, inhibitor, venom, recalcification time.