ANTIEPILEPTIC AND ANXIOLYTIC ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF BRASSICA NIGRA L. KOCH SEEDS ON WISTAR ALBINO RATS

Sudhir G. Ramani and Rajiv Bajracharya*

ABSTRACT

The epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions that show a prevalence rate in 1–2% of the world population. Although a considerable number of antiepileptic drugs are available for the treatment of epilepsy and there is still an urgent need for development of new drugs as alternatives. The rich floral biodiversity of nature has provided herbal health practitioners and other traditional healers with an impressive pool of „natural pharmacy‟ from which plants are selected as ingredients to prepare herbal remedies and medicines (phytomedicines) for the treatment, management and control of a variety of human ailments. One of such therapeutically useful medicinal plants is Brassica nigra L. Koch [family: Cruciferae] commonly known as “BLACK MUSTARD”. It is a cultivated crop and has been regarded to possess various medicinal properties. Phytochemical invetigation and Pharmacological investigation was carried out on the ethanolic extract of Brassica nigra L. Koch seed. The phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of carbohydrate, alkaloid, flavonoid, fixed oil and glycosides. In Maximum electroshock induced seizure (MES) induced convulsions model ethanolic extract of Brassica nigra L. Koch seeds (100 and 200 mg/kg) has significantly (p<0.01) decreased the duration in various phases of epileptic seizure and increased the percentage protection when compare to the control group and in pentylenetetrazole induced convulsions model the ethanolic extract of Brassica nigra L. Koch seeds (100 and 200 mg/kg) has significantly (p<0.01) increased the onset of clonus, onset of tonus and percentage recovery when compare to control group. It was effective against MES induced seizures, since inhibition of the MES test predicts activity against generalized tonic-clonic and cortical focal seizures. In our study the ethanolic extract of Brassica nigra L. Koch seed at 100 and 200 mg/kg doses has significantly (p<0.01) increased the time spent and number of entries into the open arm indicating the test drugs could reduce the fear and anxiety in the rat. The ethanolic extract of Brassica nigra L. Koch seed at 100 and 200 mg/kg doses also showed significantly (p<0.01) decrease in locomotor function of the rat when compared with the control tested at different time interval after treatment by using digital actophotometer. Therefore, the results obtained from the study suggest that the ethanolic extract of Brassica nigra L. Koch seeds possess antiepileptic and anxiolytic potential possibly due to the phytoconstituents of extract. The extract significantly decreased epileptic seizure and anxiety when compared to control group animals.

Keywords: Brassica nigra L, Epilepsy, antiepileptic, anxiolytic.