{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,8]],"date-time":"2026-10-08T16:11:51Z","timestamp":1791475911501,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,3]],"date-time":"2025-01-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1735862400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/journals\/pages\/open_access\/funder_policies\/chorus\/standard_publication_model"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Despite Naja nigricincta nigricincta being responsible for most snake envenomation in remote Namibian regions, an effective intervention against its venom remains undiscovered. This study aimed to scientifically validate Namibian folklore claims about Senegalia mellifera extract's efficacy against snake envenomation.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>In vitro assays were conducted to assess the inhibitory potential of S. mellifera stem bark extract on snake venom phospholipase A2 (svPLA2) activity from N. n. nigricincta venom. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and molecular docking predicted phytochemicals responsible for inhibitory effects on venom proteins.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The svPLA2 activity assay demonstrated significant inhibitory potential of the extract, reducing enzyme activity from 100% to as low as 66.99%. GC-MS analysis indicated an abundant presence of terpenes having antisnake venom activity. Molecular docking identified phytochemicals of S. mellifera capable of neutralizing prevalent cobra toxins, that is, stigmasterol acetate, beta-Sitosterol acetate, vitamin E, kaur-15-ene, squalene and 4,6-Cholestadien-3beta-ol.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>This plant extract cannot be considered as a discrete treatment against venom. It may serve as a transient remedy to impede the toxic effects or supplement the action of antivenoms. Future research should be aimed at finding other plants with greater antivenom potential to increase the prospect of using ethnobotanicals to manage snakebites in a cost-effective manner.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/trstmh\/trae055","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,3]],"date-time":"2025-01-03T09:59:26Z","timestamp":1735898366000},"page":"166-174","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Prospect of using ethnobotanicals to manage snakebites in a cost-effective manner: validating <i>Senegalia mellifera<\/i> extract's inhibitory potential on <i>Naja nigricincta nigricincta<\/i> (zebra cobra) venom"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"119","author":[{"given":"Charlize L","family":"Rix","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Faculty of Health, Natural Resources and Applied Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology , Private Bag 13388, 13 Jackson Kaujeua Street Windhoek, Windhoek ,","place":["Namibia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1911-1651","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Percy M","family":"Chimwamurombe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Faculty of Health, Natural Resources and Applied Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology , Private Bag 13388, 13 Jackson Kaujeua Street Windhoek, Windhoek ,","place":["Namibia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1048-1787","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lamech M","family":"Mwapagha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Faculty of Health, Natural Resources and Applied Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology , Private Bag 13388, 13 Jackson Kaujeua Street Windhoek, Windhoek ,","place":["Namibia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,3]]},"reference":[{"issue":"8","key":"2025020409221713500_bib1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"520","DOI":"10.3390\/toxins12080520","article-title":"Protein identification of venoms of the African spitting cobras, Naja mossambica and naja nigricincta nigricincta","volume":"12","author":"Katali","year":"2020","journal-title":"Toxins"},{"issue":"7","key":"2025020409221713500_bib2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1256","DOI":"10.7196\/SAMJ.2023.v113i7.271","article-title":"Namibian spitting cobra, naja nigricincta nigricincta (zebra snake): oral flora and antibiotic sensitivity, a cross-sectional study","volume":"113","author":"Saaiman","year":"2023","journal-title":"S Afr Med J"},{"key":"2025020409221713500_bib3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nguyen GT, O'Brien C, Wouters Y \u00a0et al. \u00a0High-throughput proteomics and in vitro functional characterization of the 26 medically most important elapids and vipers from sub-Saharan Africa. 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