Volume 154, Issue 2, 11 June 2014, Pages 351–360
Behavioral and anticonvulsant effects of the standardized extract of Ficus platyphylla stem bark
Highlights
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- We examined the behavioral and anticonvulsant effects of the standardized extract of Ficus platyphylla (FP) stem bark in mice.
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- FP significantly reduced locomotor activities, shortened the onset and prolonged the duration of diazepam induced sleep and had no effect on motor coordination on the rota-rod treadmill or beam-walking assay in mice.
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- FP protected mice against pentylenetetrazole- and strychnine-induced seizures.
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- FP significantly delayed the latencies of myoclonic jerks and tonic seizures induced by all the convulsant agents.
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- FP contains psychoactive principles with potential anticonvulsant properties.
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance
Decoctions of Ficus platyphylla Del.-Holl
(Family: Moraceae) are used in Nigeria׳s folk medicine for the
management of epilepsy and their efficacies are widely acclaimed among
the rural communities of northern Nigeria. The aim of the study is to
examine the behavioral and anticonvulsant properties of the standardized
methanol extract of Ficus platyphylla (FP) stem bark, in order to scientifically describe its potential values in the management of convulsive disorders.
Materials and methods
High
performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and preliminary phytochemical
analysis of the methanol extract were utilized and the intraperitoneal
median lethal dose (LD50) determined in mice. The effects of
FP were investigated on some murine models of behavior and its
anticonvulsant effects studied on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-, strychnine
(STN)-, picrotoxin (PCT)-, isoniazid (INH)-, aminophylline (AMI)- and
maximal electroshock (MES)-induced seizures in mice.
Results
The intraperitoneal oral LD50
of FP was estimated to be 5000 mg/kg. FP significantly reduced the
locomotor activities including the total distance covered, speed, active
time and rearing counts. It shortened the onset and prolonged the
duration of diazepam-induced sleep, but had no effect on motor
coordination on the rota-rod treadmill or beam-walking assay in mice at
the doses tested. The extract protected the mice against PTZ- and
STN-induced seizures and significantly delayed the latencies of
myoclonic jerks and tonic seizures induced by all the standard
convulsant agents (PTZ, PCT, INH, STN and AMI) used in this study, but
failed to protect the mice against MES seizures at the doses tested. The
HPLC fingerprint of the extract shows a spectrum profile characteristic
of Ficus platyphylla, while the preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, flavonoids and tannins.
Conclusion
Our
study provides scientific evidence that FP may contain psychoactive
principles with potential anticonvulsant properties, thus supporting
further development of the psychoactive components of this plant as
anticonvulsant agents.
Graphical abstract
The
behavioral and anticonvulsant properties of the standardized extract of
Ficus platyphylla (FP) were evaluated in order to scientifically
describe its potential values for the management of convulsive
disorders. FP may contain psychoactive principles with anticonvulsant
properties.
Keywords
- Ficus platyphylla;
- Anticonvulsant;
- Behavior;
- Mice
- Corresponding
author at: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Nigeria. Tel.:
+234 8 0328 99112.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
