EVALUATION OF ANTICONVULSANT ACTIVITY OF ALCOHOLIC EXTRACT OF BENINCASA HISPIDA (THUNB) COGN. FRUIT EXTRACTS

Abstract

Epilepsy is a common neurological condition, affecting 0.5 to 1% of the population worldwide. According to the Sanskrit texts, Benincasa Hispida fruit is useful in insanity, epilepsy, constipation, piles dyspepsia and other nervous diseases; fresh juice is given either with sugar or as an adjunct to other medicines for these diseases. In this work, the anticonvulsant properties of alcoholic extract of Benincasa Hispida studied on maximal electroshock test (MEST), pentylenetetrazole and strychnine-induced seizures model in mice. The oral acute toxicity values (LD50) in mice were also evaluated. The alcoholic extract of Benincasa Hispida of protected animals against maximal electroshock-induced convulsion and reduced the mean recovery time from convulsion. The alcoholic extract of Benincasa Hispida had a also shows anticonvulsant activity against pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsion and protect mice against strychnine-induced convulsions. These results suggest that the ethanolic extract of Benincasa Hispida contains pharmacologically active substance(s) like triterpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides and steroids, which may be valuable in the treatment of convulsive disorders, especially Grand mal epilepsy.