Evaluation of Anticonvulsant and Central Nervous System Depression Effects of Multi-Herbal Extracts against Chemoconvulsants Induced Epilepsy in Murines

Abstract

Convulsion is one of the most common neurological disorders affecting millions of population globally. Though there are several effective drugs for treating convulsion, most drugs are associated with side effects and drug interactions. Combretum hypopilinum and Bombax buopozense used in Nigerian traditional medicine have proven locally to possess antiepileptic and sedative properties. This study aimed to evaluate the anticonvulsant and central nervous system depressant effects of Combretum hypopilinum and Bombax buopozense against Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and Strychnine-induced seizure in murine. This study was carried out using murine model of epilepsy. Thirty animals were randomly divided into five groups of six mice each: Group 1 received distilled water, group 2, 3 and 4 received 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg extract of Combretum hypopilinum and Bombax buopozense extracts in separate and then similar designed was used for combined extracts. All the animals were induced with PTZ. The subsequent set of animals were induced with strychnine and similar dosing pattern was adopted. For the central nervous system depression, diazepam induced sleep and walk beam assay models was used. The acute toxicity studies revealed no mortality. The Combretum hypopilinum and Bombax buopozense attenuated the PTZ amd strychnine-induced seizures in a dose-dependent manner in separate extract and combined extracts intervention. The combined extracts showed central nervous system depressant effect by increasing duration of sleep in diazepam induced sleep. The findings of our study showed the anticonvulsant and central nervous system depressant properties of the combined extracts.