Abstract

ANTICONVULSANT ACTIVITY OF HYDROALCOHOLIC EXTRACT OF OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM LEAVES

*Sreenu Thalla, K.Venkata Ramana, K.Suresh Kumar, V.Lavanya Reddy, Y.AnilKumar

Abstract

Ocimum gratissimum is used traditionally in India to treat psychoses, epilepsy, and rheumatism. The present study is aimed at investigating the anticonvulsant activity of chloroform and hydromethanolic extract of the leaves of Ocimum gratissimum which is commonly used in the Indian traditional medicine. The anticonvulsant activity of the extract was evaluated using Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) - induced convulsions in mice and maximum electro shock (MES) -induced convulsions and lithium- pilocarpine induced status epilepticus in rats. In MES Model, both the extracts (100 and 200 mg/kg p.o.) significantly reduced the duration of hind limb extension. In the PTZ model, both extracts (100 and 200 mg/kg p.o.) delayed the latency tomyoclonic spasm and clonic convulsions significantly. In Lithium-pilocarpine model, chloroform extract (100 mg) and hydromethanolic extract (100 & 200 mg) delayed the latency to rearing with forelimb clonus significantly. The results indicate that the extracts of Ocimum gratissimum possess biologically active compound(s) that have anticonvulsant properties, which support the ethnomedicinal use of the plant as antiepileptic agents.

Keywords: Ocimum gratissimum. Lithium . pilocarpine .MES . PTZ