Anticonvulsant activity of aqueous fraction of Carissa edulis root bark.

Abstract

CONTEXT:

Carissa edulis Vahl (Apocynaceae) is used in Nigerian folk medicine to manage a plethora of diseases including epilepsy, cancer, and inflammation; its efficacy is widely acclaimed among communities of northern Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE:

This study establishes anticonvulsant activities of aqueous fraction of ethanol root bark extract of Carissa edulis (RAF) and sub-fractions (S1 and S2) in animal models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

We evaluated the acute toxicity of the RAF, S1 and S2, and the anticonvulsant activity using pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), picrotoxin, strychnine, N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA), isoniazid (INH), and aminophylline-induced seizures in mice. Their effects on maximal electroshock (MES) and kindling-induced seizures were studied in chicks and in rats, respectively, and in the electrophysiological study. The doses used for RAF were 150, 300, and 600 mg/kg while S1 and S2 were 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg. Both RAF and sub-fractions were administered once during the experiment.

RESULTS:

The intraperitoneal LD50 of the RAF was estimated to be 2222.61 mg/kg and that of the S1 and S2 were above 5000 mg/kg. RAF protected the mice by 50% while sub-fractions by 16.67% against PTZ-induced seizures. RAF offered 33.33 and 16.67% protection against strychnine and NMDA models, respectively. However, RAF offered 66.67-33.33% protections against aminophylline-induced seizures at doses of 150 and 600 mg/kg, but RAF, S1, and S2 had no effect on MES-induced seizures.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:

Our results validate the use of the plant traditionally in the management of epilepsy, thus supporting the appraisal of biologically active components of this plant as antiepileptic agents.

• Authors: J Ya'u, A H Yaro, S Malami, M A Musa, A Abubakar, S M Yahaya, B A Chindo, J A Anuka, I M Hussaini
• Journal: Pharmaceutical biology (Pharm Biol) Vol. 53 Issue 9 Pg. 1329-38 ( 2015) ISSN: 1744-5116 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25856720 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Anticonvulsants
• Plant Extracts
• Solvents
• Ethanol

Topics

• Animals
• Anticonvulsants (chemistry, isolation & purification, pharmacology, toxicity)
• Apocynaceae (chemistry)
• Brain (drug effects, physiopathology)
• Brain Waves (drug effects)
• Chickens
• Disease Models, Animal
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Electroencephalography
• Electroshock
• Ethanol (chemistry)
• Kindling, Neurologic
• Lethal Dose 50
• Male
• Mice
• Phytotherapy
• Plant Bark
• Plant Extracts (chemistry, isolation & purification, pharmacology, toxicity)
• Plant Roots
• Plants, Medicinal
• Rats, Wistar
• Seizures (chemically induced, physiopathology, prevention & control)
• Solvents (chemistry)