Epilepsy is a disorder in the nervous system which often causes a loss of consciousness. Traditional treatments are quiet a component of health care system in various populations in spite of the fact that well-established options are available. Most plants are used to treat epilepsy or those which have been verified for anticonvulsant activity were reported. Then, Costus afer is a plant of the Congolese flora used in traditional medicine for its many virtues.Therefore, the anticonvulsant activity of Costus afer was assessed with the strychnine convulsion induction test. Two tests were used for sedative activity such as the barbiturate sleep induction test and motor activity and finally the forced swimming test was also used to assess antidepressant activity. The results showed that the aqueous extract of Costus afer stems had no effects on strychnine-induced seizures at doses of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg compared to the control group. However, the extract of Costus afer stems caused a very significant decrease in motricity at a dose of 500 mg/kg, showing a decrease in the onset time and a very significant increase in sleep duration like the reference molecule such as Diazepam. The aqueous extract of Costus afer stems also caused a decrease in immobility time in mice at a dose of 500 mg/kg.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.