Abstract

REVIEW ON EPILEPSY AND ITS SYNTHETIC AND HERBAL APPROACH

Sana Raza*, Dr. Abhishek Kumar and Prof. Rajeev Shukla

Abstract

Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain characterized by an enduring predisposition to generate epileptic seizures and by the neurobiologic, cognitive, psychological and social consequences of this condition. Epileptic seizures are the result of excessive and abnormal nerve cell activity in the cortex of the brain. In epilepsy, the resistance of excitatory neurons to fire during this period is decreased. The diagnosis of epilepsy is typically made based on observation of the seizure onset and the underlying cause. Antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment should never be started as a trial to „test‟ the diagnosis; this will only cause problems for the physician and the patient, and is generally unhelpful in resolving diagnostic uncertainty. AEDs are prescribed after a careful evaluation of the risks and benefits of treatment. Acorus calamus found to have many phytochemical constituents namely alpha-asarone, Beta-asarone and eugenol. It was found that alpha asarone modulates GABAergic transmission in hippocampus in experimental animal which exerts its antiepileptic action.

Keywords: Acorus calamus, Epileptic seizures, Antiepileptic drug, neurobiologic.