Original Research Article

Anticonvulsant Activity of Carissa carandas Linn. Root Extract in Experimental Mice

Karunakar Hegde^1*, Shalin P Thakker², Arun B Joshi³, CS Shastry¹, KS Chandrashekhar³

¹Department of Pharmacology,  Srinivas College of Pharmacy, Valachil,  Post-Parangepete, Mangalore-574 143, Karnataka, ²Department of Pharmaceutics, Soniya Education Trust’s College of Pharmacy, S. R. Nagar, Dharwad-580 002, Karnataka, ³Department of Pharmacognosy, N. G. S. M. Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences,  Mangalore-574 160, Karnataka, India. Email: khegde_sh2003@yahoo.co.in;  Tel: +91-824-2274722; Fax: +91-824-2274725

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate anticonvulsant effect of the ethanolic extract of the roots of Carissa carandas (ERCC) on electrically and chemically induced seizures.

Methods: The ethanolic extract of the roots of C. carandas (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, i.p.) was studied for its anticonvulsant effect on maximal electroshock-induced seizures and pentylenetetrazole-, picrotoxin-, bicuculline- and N-methyl-dl-aspartic acid-induced seizures in mice. The latency of tonic convulsions and the number of animals protected from tonic convulsions were noted.

Results: ERCC (100-400 mg/kg) significantly reduced the duration of seizures induced by maximal electroshock (MES). However, only 200 and 400mg/kg of the extract conferred protection (25 and 50%, respectively) on the mice. The same doses also protected animals from pentylenetetrazole-induced tonic seizures and significantly delayed the onset of tonic seizures produced by picrotoxin and N-methyl-dl-aspartic acid. The extract had no effect on bicuculline-induced seizures.

Conclusion: The data suggest that the ethanolic root extract of C. carandas may produce its anticonvulsant effects via non-specific mechanisms since it reduced the duration of seizures produced by maximal electroshock as well as delayed the latency of seizures produced by pentylenetetrazole and picrotoxin.