ANTICONVULSANT ACTIVITY OF HYDROALCOHOLIC EXTRACT OF OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM LEAVES
*Sreenu Thalla, K.Venkata Ramana, K.Suresh Kumar, V.Lavanya Reddy, Y.AnilKumar
Abstract
Ocimum gratissimum is used traditionally in India to treat psychoses,
epilepsy, and rheumatism. The present study is aimed at investigating
the anticonvulsant activity of chloroform and hydromethanolic extract
of the leaves of Ocimum gratissimum which is commonly used in the
Indian traditional medicine. The anticonvulsant activity of the extract
was evaluated using Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) - induced convulsions in
mice and maximum electro shock (MES) -induced convulsions and
lithium- pilocarpine induced status epilepticus in rats. In MES Model,
both the extracts (100 and 200 mg/kg p.o.) significantly reduced the
duration of hind limb extension. In the PTZ model, both extracts (100
and 200 mg/kg p.o.) delayed the latency tomyoclonic spasm and clonic
convulsions significantly. In Lithium-pilocarpine model, chloroform extract (100 mg) and
hydromethanolic extract (100 & 200 mg) delayed the latency to rearing with forelimb clonus
significantly. The results indicate that the extracts of Ocimum gratissimum possess
biologically active compound(s) that have anticonvulsant properties, which support the
ethnomedicinal use of the plant as antiepileptic agents.
Keywords: Ocimum gratissimum. Lithium . pilocarpine .MES . PTZ
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