Abstract

EVALUATION OF ANTI-EPILEPTIC ACTIVITY OF HYDROALCOHOLIC EXTRACT OF Curcuma aromatica RHIZOME IN EXPERIMENTAL MICE

Suvarna Preetham K. P.*, Ashoka Shenoy M. and A. R. Shabaraya

ABSTRACT

Epilepsy is a disorder of the central nervous system and is characterized by periodic loss of consciousness with or without convulsions associated and with abnormal electrical activity in the brain. It is estimated that there are around 50 million people living with epilepsy globally. Around one-sixth of this population resides in India. A minority of patients may develop chronic epilepsy, and in such cases, treatment is more difficult. Hence there is a clear need to continue and identify novel AEDs that effectively control pharmaco-resistant seizure with minimal or no adverse effects. Plants may serve as the alternative sources for the development of new antiepileptic agents due to their biological activities. The rhizome of Curcuma aromatica used in traditional medicine to treat several pathologies like pains, fevers, bacterial infections, fungal infections. The current study was
designed to investigate the phytochemical analysis, and Antiepileptic activity of Curcuma aromatica rhizome extract (CARE) using Maximal Electro-shock (MES) and Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced convulsion models in Swiss albino mice. The mice were divided into 4 groups with 6 animals each. Group Ⅰ were treated with vehicle (p.o) as control, Group Ⅱ received standard drugs Phenytoin (25 mg/kg, i. p.) for Maximal Electro-shock model or Diazepam (4mg/kg, i.p.) for Pentylenetetrazole model, Group Ⅲ and Group Ⅳ consisted of animals treated with 200 mg/kg, (p.o.) and 400 mg/kg, (p.o.) of the extract. All the treatments were given for 14 days. On the 14th day the convulsions were induced in all the study groups. In conclusion, hydroalcoholic extract of Curcuma aromatica rhizome has considerable protective action against MES and PTZ induced convulsions when studied for its antiepileptic potential.

Keywords: Pentylenetetrazole; Curcuma aromatica; Convulsions; Phenytoin.