PROMISING ANTI CONVULSANT EFFECT OF A HERBAL DRUG IN WISTAR ALBINO RATS

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic disease affecting human beings.This brain disorder is characterized by tendency for recurrent seizures or fits. The seizures can leads to loss of consciousness, disturbance of movement, muscle spasms, autonomic and mental functions. In Ayurveda the epilepsy is correlated to Apasmara by classical symptomatology especially under generalized tonic-clonic seizure.Treatment of epilepsy is a long-term process and usage of conventional antiepileptic drugs Carbamazepine, Valproic acid, Ethosuximide, Phenobarbital, Benzodiazepine and Phenytoin produce unpleasant side effects in long run. So a safe herbal medicine in this condition is a necessity. The traditional healers of kerala, in their practice they widely use one herbal drug called Guchapatra (Ruta graveolens L) commonly known as Aruta in Malayalam. The plant is administered as ghrita (a preparation with ghee as the main base) for the effective management of Apasmara (Epilepsy). Guchapatra (Ruta graveolens L) is a strongly odoriferous perennial herb belonging to the family Rutaceae. The claim of anti epileptic effect of Ghee prepared with Ruta graveolens is not proven scientifically till date. The aim of present study is to test Guchapatra (Ruta graveolens .L) for its anti-convulsant effect by Maximal electroshock seizure (MES) method in Albino rats. The drug was administered in the form of Ghrita. The experiment was carried out in 3 groups having 6 Wistar albino rats per group. Phenytoin was the standard drug. Group 1 (control – distilled water), Group 2 (standard drug - Phenytoin), Group 3 (Normal dose of Guchapatra ghritam (Ghee prepared with Ruta graveolens. L). Reduction in duration of Tonic Hind Limb Extension (THE) in seconds or the complete absence of tonic extensor phase of MES convulsions was taken as the assessment criteria for Anti-convulsant effect. The observations statistically analyzed using one way ANOVA and Post Hoc Tukeys multiple comparison tests. The in-vivo experiment revealed that the Guchapatra (Ruta graveolens. L) as a ghrita (Ghee) preparation posses equal anti- convulsant effect in comparison with standard drug Phenytoin.

Acute Boldine Treatment Induces Anti-convulsant Effects in Mice through its Antioxidant Activity

Boldine is a natural antioxidant that exhibits some important pharmacological properties, which is due to its free radical scavenging effects. And at the same time, reactive oxygen species (ROS) has an important role in pathogenesis of seizure; hence, reducing it via antioxidants like boldine seems to be effective in treating seizure. This study was designed to investigate whether acute treatment with boldine could alter seizures induced by pentylenetetrazole or electroshock in mice. We also evaluated to see if boldine’s antioxidant properties play a role in its anti-convulsant activity. Boldine acute administration increased time latencies to the onset of myoclonic jerks and clonic seizures induced by intraperitoneal pentylenetetrazole model. Moreover, boldine increased seizure threshold induced by intravenous infusion of pentylenetetrazole. Additionally, acute doses of boldine reduced the duration of tonic hind-limb extension in the electroshock-induced seizure model. Non-effective dose of vitamin C (as an antioxidant agent) and boldine had anti-convulsant effect in intraperitoneal pentylenetetrazole, intravenous pentylenetetrazole and electroshock models. Boldine administration increased glutathione and superoxide dismutase levels in mice whole brain. The result showed boldine anti-seizure properties, which might be due to its antioxidant activity.

Anticonvulsant Activity of the Linalool Enantiomers and Racemate: Investigation of Chiral Influence

The anticonvulsant activity of the racemate and enantiomers of linalool have been evaluated. Pretreatment of the mice with ( S)-(+)-, ( R)-(-)- and rac-linalool increased the latency of convulsions significantly in the PTZ model. Only rac-linalool had an effect at the dose of 200 mg/kg. The enantiomers and their racemic mixture were effective in inhibiting the convulsant effect of PTZ at the dose of 300 mg/kg. The linalools presented pharmacological activity close to that of diazepam. In the PIC seizure model, ( R)-(-)-linalool and rac-linalool presented activity at the dose of 200 mg/kg, but the rac-linalool was more potent than ( R)-(-)-linalool; ( S)-(+)-linalool had no effect at this dose. On the other hand, at the dose of 300 mg/kg this enantiomer was effective, but less potent than ( R)-(-)-linalool and rac-linalool. In the MES model, linalools decreased the convulsion time of the mice in the doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg. rac-Linalool presented maximum effect at 300 mg/kg. Surprisingly, it increased significantly the convulsion time at a dose of 100 mg/kg. Using the parameter of tonic hind convulsions, only ( R)-(-)-linalool produced protection from tonic extension at the dose of 200 mg/kg. When the (+)- and (-)-enantiomers, and rac-linalool were administered at the dose of 300 mg/kg they were also effective in preventing tonic convulsions induced by transcorneal electroshock in the animals. The (+)- and (-)-forms were equipotent and the rac-linalool was more effective than phenytoin. We have demonstrated that the two enantiomers have similar qualitative anticonvulsant activity, but show different potencies.