Effects of various naturally occurring compounds (arbutin, borneol, esculetin, esculin, ellagic acid, gallic acid, hesperidine, piperitol, piperonal, quercetin, thymoquinone and ursolic acid) against maximal electroshock-induced seizures in mice

Abstract

The aim of this study was to perform the anticonvulsant screening test to select some naturally occurring substances isolated from herbs and medicinal plants that could offer a distinct protection against maximal electroshock (MES)-induced tonic seizures in mice. The screening test was performed for 12 substances (i.e., arbutin, borneol, esculetin, esculin, ellagic acid, gallic acid, hesperidine, piperitol, piperonal, quercetin, thymoquinone and ursolic acid) administered intraperitoneally in a constant dose of 300 mg/kg at various pretreatment times (i.e., 15, 30, 60 and 120 min.) before the MES test. Results indicate that only borneol produced a 75% protection against MES-induced tonic seizures in mice, when administered i.p. at 15 min. prior to the MES test. Borneol administered i.p. at 30 min before the MES test protected a 37.5% of animals tested, whereas the compound administered i.p. at 60 min. prior to the test exerted barely a 12.5% protection against MES-induced tonic seizures. In contrast, borneol administered i.p. at 120 min. prior to the test produced no anticonvulsant activity in mice subjected to the MES test. The remaining substances tested in the mouse MES model (i.e., arbutin, esculetin, esculin, ellagic acid, gallic acid, hesperidine, piperitol, piperonal, quercetin and ursolic acid) exerted no or negligible anti-seizure activity after their i.p. administration to mice. In conclusion, borneol is worthy of consideration as a potentially favorable compound in epileptology, if the results from this study could be extrapolated into clinical settings.

Alantolactone and isoalantolactone suppress maximal electroshock-induced tonic seizures in mice

“…before the electroconvulsions resulted in no anticonvulsant effect in the mouse MES model. It is worth mentioning that in the presented study the pretreatment times and doses of tested compounds were identical to those described previously in the screening test allowing selection of compounds with anticonvulsant activity [9,11,12,24]. Subsequently, the ED 50 values of both compounds in the MES test were determined -322 (281-369) mg/kg for alantolactone and 336 (285-396) mg/kg for isoalantolactone.…”

“…In contrast, 2 other coumarins, bergapten and oxypeucedanin had no impact on MES-induced tonic seizures in mice [9]. Additionally, it was found that borneol and thymoquinone produced the anticonvulsant action in the mouse MES model [12].…”

Effects of alizarin, betulin, curcumin, diosmin , linalool, menthofuran, α-terpineol, theobromine, β-thujaplicin and vanillin against maximal electroshock-induced seizures in mice

“…As mentioned in the Introduction, we have documented that imperatorin, osthole and xanthotoxin (three naturally occurring coumarins isolated from various medicinal plants) exerted a definite anti-convulsant action in the mouse MES model [19,20]. In contrast, bergapten and oxypeucedanin (two other naturally occurring coumarins) produced no or negligible anti-convulsant action against MES-induced tonic seizures in mice [19].…”

“…Moreover, thymoquinone produced anti-convulsant action by supressing 25% of the animals tested against MES-induced seizures [20]. In contrast, bergapten, oxypeucedanin, arbutin, esculetin, esculin, ellagic acid, gallic acid, hesperidine, piperitol, piperonal, quercetin and ursolic acid had no impact on MESinduced tonic seizures in mice [19,20].…”

“…In our earlier studies we reported that imperatorin, osthole and xanthotoxin (three naturally occurring coumarins) produced a clear-cut anti-convulsant action in the mouse MES model [15,16,17,18,19]. Moreover, thymoquinone produced anti-convulsant action by supressing 25% of the animals tested against MES-induced seizures [20]. In contrast, bergapten, oxypeucedanin, arbutin, esculetin, esculin, ellagic acid, gallic acid, hesperidine, piperitol, piperonal, quercetin and ursolic acid had no impact on MESinduced tonic seizures in mice [19,20].…”