The antiepileptic and neuroprotective effect of the Buxus hyrcana Pojark hydroethanolic extract against the pentylentetrazol induced model of the seizures in the male rats

Abstract

Aims: The genus Buxus grows up widespread in Europe and Western Asia. It is an important traditional plant that has been used in the treatment of many illnesses. In the present study, the effect of hydroethanolic extract of Buxus hyrcana Pojark (BHP) on the animal model of seizure was studied.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 42 male Wistar rats weighing 220–250 g were randomly selected and were divided into experimental and control groups (six rats per group). The experimental groups were treated by the intraperitoneal (i.p.) single injection of 150, 300, 450, 600 and 750 mg kg⁻¹ of hydroalcoholic extracts of BHP. The control negative group received normal saline (0.9%) and the control positive group received phenobarbital (30 mg kg⁻¹, i.p.) pre-treatment. Thirty minutes after the treatments, the seizure behaviors were evaluated by the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) (70 mg kg⁻¹, i.p.) challenge. In addition, after the experiment, the rats were put to death and their brains were removed for the histological study.

Results: The ANOVA demonstrated that compared to the control group, all the BHP doses delayed the initiation and duration of the tonic, colonic and tonic–colonic seizures and significantly reduced the tonic and colonic seizures (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the administration of all five doses of the extract significantly prevented the production of the dark neurons (p < 0.001) in different areas of the hippocampus compared to PTZ group.

Conclusion: We can conclude that the BHP extract has beneficial effects for the prevention of the PTZ induced seizure.

KEYWORDS:

• Buxus hyrcana Pojark
• PTZ
• traditional medicine
• seizure
• neural damage

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to extend their special thanks to Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University for providing the plant materials; especial thanks also goes to Dr Ahmadiani at the Neuroscience Research center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science for technical supports.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest in this study.