Dual Protective Effect of Cynodon dactylon in Epilepsy as Well as Depression

Abstract

Background and Objective: Depression and epilepsy are considered as the strongest predictor of poor quality of life. A complex relation has been established between the two conditions which suggest that the high co morbidity of depression and epilepsy is related to the existence of common neurobiologic and pathogenic mechanisms involved in them. Plants and their extracts are better choice to treat such type of diseases (in which treatment of one worsens the other), because of presence of antagonistic substances in them, due to which they show lesser or no side effects. Hence, the present study was designed to investigate the effect of ethanolic extract of Cynodon dactylon on epilepsy and depression in mice. Methodology: Antidepressant activity was investigated using forced swim test and reserpine induced hypothermia model and antiepileptic activity was explored using MES test and PTZ induced seizure test. Results:The results of the present study showed that ethanolic extract of C. dactylon possess promising antidepressant as well as antiepileptic activity. From the mechanistic study performed using baclofen induced catatonia and lithium induced head twitch model, it was demonstrated that the antiepileptic effect of C. dactylon may be mediated through its GABA-mimetic action and antidepressant activity may be mediated through 5 HT 2 antagonistic action (like atypical antidepressants). Conclusion: Thus, it may be concluded that dual protective effect of C. dactylon in epilepsy and depression is associated with diverse mechanism, namely GABA-mimetic and 5-HT 2 antagonistic action.

Role of Cynodon dactylon in management of Epilepsy: A brief review

“…Thus Suggests that ethanolic extract of Cynodon dactylon has anti-convulsant property and the verified its traditional use in epilepsy (Garg and Paliwal, 2011). Further investigation was done on the effect of ethanolic extract of Cynodon dactylon on epilepsy and depression in mice and The results possess promising antidepressant as well as antiepileptic activity which concluded that dual protective effect of Cynodon dactylon in epilepsy and depression is associated with diverse mechanism, namely GABAmimetic and 5-HT2 antagonistic action (Ingale and Gupta, 2015). Study which was performed to identify the antiepileptic activity of leaf extract on animal models resulted and suggested antiepileptic activity on animal models (Kaliyaperumal et al, 2013).…”