Anticonvulsant activity of extracts of diospyros fischeri stem bark
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Date
2007-02-08
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African Journal of Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicines
Abstract
Evaluation of extracts of Diospyros fischeri Gurke (Ebenaceae), which is used traditionally for the
treatment of epilepsy shows that the aqueous extract of the tem bark has no effect against picrotoxin
induced convulsions in mice. However, an 80% ethanol extract of the bark caused dose‐dependent
suppression of convulsions induced by 10 mg/kg body wt picrotoxin, , at doses between 100‐3200 mg/kg
body wt. Petroleum ether, 1:1 dichloromethane:methanol, and methanol extracts also suppressed
picrotoxin‐induced convulsions, but had a slightly lower inhibitory effect. The petroleum ether extract
was the most active, but all were less active than the ethanol extract. Unlike phenobarbitone, which at 50
mg/kg body wt completely suppressed convulsions induced by 10 mg/kg body wt picrotoxin, none of the
plant extracts completely suppressed convulsions in the mice. These results support the traditional uses
of D.fischeri for the treatment of epilepsy. Given the seemingly innocuous nature of the extracts more
work is suggested to ascertain their clinical application.
Key words: Diospyros fischeri; Picrotoxin; Anti‐convulsant activity
Description
Keywords
Diospyros fischeri, Picrotoxin, Anti‐convulsant activity
Citation
Moshi, M.J., Masimba, P.J., Nondo, R.S., Mbwambo, Z.H., Kapingu, M.C., Mohamed, M. and Kimbokota, F., 2007. Anticonvulsant activity of extracts of Diospyros fischeri stem bark. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicines, 4(1), p.94.