International Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine Recognizing Antiophidian Plants Using the Neuromuscular Junction Apparatus Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Abbreviations: BC: Biventer cervicis; EPSTA: External Popliteal/Sciatic Nerve-Tibialis Anterior; HE: Hydroalcoholic Extract; ME: Methanol Extract; PND: Phrenic Nerve-Diaphragm Introduction The snake accidents are a relevant issue due the number of victims affected worldwide and the severe clinical condition that the venom develops. In fact, the World Health Organization added snakebite to the list of Neglected Tropical Diseases in 2009 [1]. Harrison et al. [2] described the accidents as a disease of poverty, since the most affected people usually live in poor rural communities with few or no medical resources. Paradoxically, contrarily to other diseases, a highly effective treatment already exists, and corresponds to the timely administration of a specific antiserum [2]. However, in the latest years, the production of antisera has declined by the public-sector manufacturers or by some private producers, as appointed by The Lancet’s editorial [3. Plants are an important source of drugs [4]. The literature is vast in the study of antiophidian plants such as those against lethal and myotoxic effects [5-9], phospholipase A 2 [10-12] or hemorrhagic activities, antinucleolytic or other antiophidian properties as seen with Pentaclethra macroloba [13,14]. However, there are few researchers in the world using Volume 5 Issue 5 - 2017 1 Post-Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sorocaba, Brazil 2 Laboratory of Neurobiology and Toxicology, Federal University of Pampa, Brazil *Corresponding author: Y. Oshima-Franco, Post-Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sorocaba, UNISO, Rodovia Raposo Tavares, km 92.5, Zip code 18023- 000, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil, Tel: +55 15 2101-7197; Fax: +55 15 21-1-7112; Email: Received: February 19, 2017 | Published: February 21, 2017 Opinion Int J Complement Alt Med 2017, 5(5): 00165 Abstract Here we expressed our opinion in respect to an important research area of study, the neuromuscular junction, which historically has been helped the pharmacology with numerous discoveries related to the mechanisms of action of several substances. Venomous animals, toxins, plants and other bioactive compounds can be studied using neuromuscular preparations from mammalian, avian and other species. The kind of information which is possible to extract from the data interpretation is relevant and stickling to this field of study and the teaching of new researchers should be encouraged. In the last twenty years our group has employed neuromuscular preparations for confirming the antiophidian potential of ethnobotanical plant-extracts used in folk medicine, which need scientific validation. In this view, representatives of Brazilian venomous snakes of Crotalus and Bothrops genera, Crotalus durissus terrificus and Bothrops jararacussu, respectively, have been the protagonists for these studies. Besides, other studies are of notorious importance which includes those with Ophiophagus hannah (King cobra) and Phylodrias olfersii, an opisthoglyphous colubrid. Ethnobotanical plants such as Casearia sylvestris (“guaçatonga”), Casearia gossypiosperma (“pau-de-espeto”), Curcuma zedoaroides (“Wan-Paya-Ngoo-Tua-Mia”), Camellia sinensis (tea); Dipteryx alata (“baru”), Hypericum brasiliense, Jatropha elliptica (“batata-de-teiu”), Mikania laevigata (“guaco”), Plathymenia reticulata (“vinhático”), and Vellozia flavicans (“canela-de-ema”) had their antiophidian properties confirmed using the neuromuscular junction as biological preparations. In a literatures survey, the majority of studies found in on line data bank, after crossing the words “antiophidian plants and neuromuscular junction” as themes, involves the use of in vitro mouse/ rat phrenic nerve-diaphragm (PND), chick biventer cervicis (BC) or the in vivo rat external popliteal/sciatic nerve-tibialis anterior (EPSTA) preparations, respectively. Such biological methods were chosen probably because the robustness and sensitivity of the neuromuscular junction to the deleterious effect of snake venoms. In the case of chick BC it has a unique value to the experiment, because the inherent sensitivity to the exogenous application of agonists such as acetylcholine and potassium chloride, which induce a contracture as a response. When the potential for clinical applications are desired, in vivo experiments such as those of EPSTA are relevant, in respect to the involvement of the neuromuscular system in the pharmacological response. In conclusion, this text reflects the potential of an indispensable physiological preparation named neuromuscular junction, which is outstanding to recognize and validate antiophidian ethnobotanical compounds. In this context, Dipteryx alata is a plant that has been studied by our group for a long time, in which neuromuscular preparations were chosen as efficient biological models. Keywords: Antiophidian ethnobotanical plants; Biventer cervicis; External popliteal/ sciatic nerve-tibialis anterior; Phrenic nerve-diaphragm; Snake venoms