Anticonvulsant, Anxiolytic, and Sedative Properties of the Fruit of Sarcocephalus latifolius in Rats.

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the anticonvulsant and the sedative anxiolytic activity of the fruit extract of Sarcocephalus latifolius (synonym, Nauclea latifolia) Smith (Rubiaceae) in rats. The ethanolic extract of the plant fruit was screened for its anxiolytic activity using simple activity meter. Anticonvulsant activities of the extract was evaluated on four experimental animal models at doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg,i.p in rats using maximal electroshock seizure (MES) test, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) test, picrotoxin (PIC) and strychnine (STR) - induced seizures test. Sodium valproate (400?mg?kg) was used as a reference anticonvulsant drug for all models. The plant showed marked sedative - anxiolytic effect and significant decrease in the motor activity (p? 0.001) since the first dose (200 mg/kg) in a dose-dependent manner . The doses 400 and 800 mg/kg of the extract significantly (p < 0.01 - p < 0.001) reduced the duration of seizures induced by maximal electroshock (MES) and delayed the onset of tonic- clonic seizures produced by strychnine respectively. All the tested doses significantly protected the animals up to 100% from pentylenetetrazole and picrotoxin- induced seizures. Results of the present study concluded that the ethanolic extract of the fruit of S. latifolius possess sedative, anticonvulsant and anxiolytic properties. So it is recommended for the treatment of insomnia anxiety and epilepsy.