ANTICONVULSANT ACTIVITY OF LEAVES EXTRACT OF CASSIA AURICULATA (LINN)

Prattiiksha Jadhav*, Sardar Shellake, V. H. Kullkarnii and Shiittallkumar Pattiill

ABSTRACT

Epilepsy or convulsion is a disorder of CNS characterized by paroxysmal cerebral dysrhythmia, manifesting as brief episodes of loss or disturbance of consciousness, with or without characteristic body movements know as convulsions. Variety of number of drugs are available in practice, however their effectiveness does not grip true with the entire population suffering from epilepsy. Adjuvent therphy for such disease are in popular for their primary health care need. Phytoconstituents have been the basis of treatment of human diseases including epilepsy. Herbal products are extensively used for the treatment of many diseases worldwide and where allopathic fails or has severe side effects. The present study was undertaken to evaluate anticonvulsant activity of Cassia auriculata Linn. of leaves extracts. Anticonvulsant activity was carried out using two models viz., Maximal Electroshock seizure MES induced seizure and Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced seizure. The acute toxicity study was carried out and the doses of the extract selected were 250 and 500 mg/kg, b.w. The anticonvulsant effect of petroleum ether extract (CAP), chloroform extract (CAC), ethanolic extract (CAE), and aqueous extract (CAA) were evaluated in Swiss albino wistar rats by maximal electric shock method. The extracts showed presences of steroids, glycosides, flavonoids, carbohydrate, proteins and amino acid. The alcohol extract exhibited highly significant activity in MES and PTZ compared to control. In the study of combination therapy of alcohol extract and phenytoin in different dose against MES induced seizure using albino rats. Combination of alcohol extract (250mg/kg) and Phenytoin (12.5mg/kg) was showed significant anticonvulsant activity.

Keywords: Cassia auriculata Linn, Phytochemicals, Anticonvulsant, Maximal Electroshock seizure, Pentylenetetrazole induced seizure, Phenytoin.