Effect of Ruta graveolens hydro-alcoholic extract on pentylenetetrazole-induced seizure in male mice

Aim &Introduction: Seizure is an important symptom of epilepsy and many neurogenic disorders. Despite a variety of current anti-convulsive drugs, research for discovering new drugs with more efficacy and unsuitable adverse effects has been continued. Herbal medicine has various natural substances and proper context for this type of research. This study was surveyed the anticonvulsant effects of hydro-alcoholic extract of rue (Ruta graveolens) in male mice.

Materials and methods: This is an experimental study in which anticonvulsant effect of extract evaluated by PTZ induced seizure. 56 NMRI mice in the range of 25–35 gr were divided to 7 groups of 8 mice that included five cases, one positive control group and one negative control group. Case groups have been injected by 100, 300,500, 800, 1000mg/kg of extracts, positive control group 40ml/kg Phenobarbital and negative control group 10ml/kg normal saline intra-peritoneal. All groups were injected by pentilen-tetrazole (80mg/kg) intra-peritoneal, after 45minutes and initiation time of myocolonic and tonic-colonic seizures and percent of 24hours death were measured.

Results: consequences of different doses of rue hydro-alcoholic extract increased delay in initiation of myocolonic and tonic-colonic seizures rather than control group dose-dependently and reduced 24hours seizure-induced mortality (P<0.05). Delay in myocolonic in 1000, 800, 500, 300 and 100mg/kg in comparison with negative control group was significant (P<0.001). Initiation time of tonic-colonic seizures in dose 1000mg/kg by P<0.001 and doses 300,500 and 800 by P<0.05 in comparison with negative control group were significant.

Conclusion: Regarding to collected results, it seems that extract of this herb has decremental effect on PTZ-induced seizure in male adult mice.