Naringenin isolated from Citrus reticulata blanco fruit peel inhibits the toxicity of snake venom proteins - An in vitro and in vivo study.

Snake envenomation is a serious hazard in tropical countries. In the current study, the bioactive compound from the methanolic extract of Citrus reticulata was purified using polarity gradient chromatography and structurally characterized by UV-spectroscopy, NMR, and LC-MS. The purified metabolite, naringenin, inhibited PLA 2 (51%) and hemolytic (59.8%) activity of the Naja naja venom. Histopathological examination and edema studies carried out using mice confirmed the inhibitory effects of naringenin. This is the first report on the inhibitory potential of naringenin isolated from Citrus reticulata. The study thus unravels the possibility for the use of Citrus reticulata metabolites as a supplement during the snake bite treatment. [Display omitted] • Methanolic extract of Citrus reticulata Blanco was evaluated for the inhibition of Naja naja venom. • Activity-guided separation method was used to isolate the active fraction. • Mass Spectrometry (MS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy were utilized to identify the compound with Naja naja venom inhibitory activity. • Mice paw edema model and histopathology confirmedthe inhibition of Naja naja venom activity in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]