THIS DAY (Lagos, Nigeria) 28 December 04 Local, But No Less Potent Relief from Snake Bite (Bukola Olatunji)
About 10 years ago, Doctor of Pharmacology, John. C. Aguiyi was fixing his car in a Mechanic’s Workshop, somewhere in Jos, when he saw a woman hawking some black beans. Rather than call potential customers to ‘sayi wake (buy beans in Hausa Language)’, she went “Maganin Maciji ! maganin Maciji !!(Snake Medicine, Snake Medicine).
Aguiyi, who is of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Jos (UNIJOS), was intrigued. Sharing this with THISDAY during the recent Nigerian Universities Research and Development Fair (NURESDEF) organised by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja, Aguiyi said he called the woman and bought some of the beans which sold at N10 per seed. He was told that the locals in the Rukuba area of Jos swallow two seeds of the bean for a whole year’s protection against the venom of Vipers, said to be common in the area.
The Genetic Engineer took the beans, known as Karara in Hausa and Agbara in Igbo Languages to his laboratory and began the research that was to last several years.
It took six months, with the help of an Indian Taxonomist in the Department of Botany, UNIJOS, Prof. Rahman, to scientifically authenticate the seed. It is Mucula Pruriens of the Utilis variety.
The research which began in 1994 got a boost in 1998 when Aguiyi got a $5, 000 research grant from UNESCO to visit a collaborator in Italy. For three months, he worked in the laboratory of Professor of Industrial Biochemistry, Marinello Erico, at the University of Sienna, Italy.
The following year, another one year grant came from the Italian Ministry of External Affairs and yet another last year for staff equipment. But for these, Aguiyi said, he would not have been able to go as far as he has done “because research work is very expensive.”
What were his findings? “I was able to substantiate the claims of the locals. Twenty-Four hours after injecting the extract of the beans, it was found to have a long-term anti snake effect.”
Interestingly, the beans, which is 30 percent protein was found to have about 630 proteins out of which only seven had something in common with snake venom and were therefore sequenced.
Beyond the claims of the locals, the researcher also found that the seed, found in practically every part of Nigeria, was polyvalent. That means the extracts not only protect against the venom of vipers alone, but other kinds of snakes as well as, the cobra, Puff Adder and even the scorpion. There is therefore no need to identify the kind of snake prevalent in an area before administering the vaccine. Toxicological studies also show that the vaccine, which patented with the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) in 2002, is safe. The serum reaction often identified with existing anti snake treatment is non-existent here.
Aguiyi said all that is left for his project, which won the second prize in the ‘Individual Project Awards’ category at NURESDEF is interested manufacturers to come forward and pick it up for mass production.
The story of the black beans does not end here. The animals that were injected with the vaccine, Aguiyi said, were found to be stronger and more active than the control. He therefore felt the seeds could be used as a feed. This was developed into processed fish feed and pilot-tested at the Federal Fish Pond, Panyam, in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, between March and June this year. According to him, the fish became more agile, their skin more shiny, while increased growth was also recorded.
As if these are not enough, the black beans also contains 9 percent of L-Dopa used in the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease. Last but not the least, it is also a pesticide. Crushed into powder and sprinkled on weavel - infested (regular) beans, the black beans dealt the weavels a fatal blow as they began to die off within 24 hours. Both the Fish Feed and the powered beans were also exhibited at NURESDEF.
Local, But No Less Potent Relief from Snake Bite