Anticonvulsant Potential of Essential oil of Artemisia
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by excessive electrical discharge in brain, whichcauses seizures. Epilepsy is the second most common neurological disorder in India. It is avery common disorder, characterized by seizures, which take various forms and result from episodicneuronal discharges, the form of the seizure depending on the part of the brain affected. Theanti-convulsant properties of the essential oil btained from the aerial parts of Artemisiadracunculus has been reported. The present study was aimed to evaluate the anticonvulsantpotential of essential oil of Artemisia abrotanum which is available abundantly in Nilgiri Hills. Thefresh leaves and flowering tops of A. abrotanum were subjected to extraction of essential oil byhydro distillation method using Clevenger apparatus. Experimental convulsion, in Swiss albino mice was induced by intra peritonealadministration of Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) at 100 mg/kg in sterile distilled water after 1hadministration of the test drug (100, 400 and 800 mg/kg). Then onset and latency of seizures andmortality were estimated and compared with the solvent control group. Diazepam (1 mg/kg),which was used as a positive control showed significant (P<0.01) delay in the onset ofmyoclonic seizures (140.3±19.78) and significant increase in time to death latency (1800±0.0) whencompared to control. All the animals of the Diazepam group survived against thePentylenetetrazole challenge. The tested essential oil at 100 mg/kg showed significant (P<0.05) delay in the onset of myoclonic seizures(49.0±1.95). However, at doses of 400 and 800mg/kg did not produce any significantchanges in the convulsive parameters, when compared to control.
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