Abstract

PHARMACOGNOSTICAL SCREENING AND IN-VIVO ANTIEPILEPTIC ACTIVITY OF LEAVES EXTRACTS OF FICUS SARMENTOSA USING ALBINO WISTAR RATS

Arvind Negi* and Anju Rawat

Abstract

Ficus sarmentosa belonging to the family Moraceae is evergreen shurb, leaves alternate, ovate-elliptic to oblong, smaller on creeping branches, larger in fruting branches. Even though this plant has gained scientific importance recently, there is a need for pharmacognostic standardization. In the present study, pharmacognostic screening and In-vivo antiepileptic activity of leaves extracts of Ficus sarmentosa was evaluated on PTZ and MES induced epileptic albino wistar rats. In the microscopical studies, the different cell structures and arrangements were studied and in physical evaluation the ash values and extractive values were studied. In antiepileptic activity, maximal electroshock seizures were elicited by a 60 Hz alternating current of 150 mA intensity for 0.2 sec. A drop of electrolyte solution (0.9% NaCl) with lignocaine was applied to the corneal electrodes prior to application to rats. The duration of various phases of epilepsy were observed. In PTZ model, PTZ (110mg/kg) i.p. was injected. Diazepam 4mg/kg i.p. is used as standard drug. Behavioral responses of all animals were determined; antiepileptic response was evaluated by using criteria like onset of convulsion, duration of convulsion, protection against GTCS and mortality. The result of the study showed that F. sarmentosa, test doses do protection against mortality following PTZ administration, as well as MES model respectively. The present work was taken up with a view to lay down standards which could be useful to detect the authenticity of this medicinally useful plant extract, shows significant antiepileptic potential, it could be a potential candidate for further drug development.

Keywords: Ficus sarmentosa, fluorescence analysis, Physical parameter. Pentylenetetrazole, MES, antiepileptic.