%0 Journal Article
%T Anticonvulsant, Anxiolytic and Neurotoxicity Profile of Aqarqarha (<i>Anacyclus pyrethrum</i>) DC (Compositae) Root Ethanolic Extract
%A Syed Mohd Abbas Zaidi
%A Shadab Ahmad Pathan
%A Surender Singh
%A Shakir Jamil
%A Farhan Jalees Ahmad
%A Roop Krishen Khar
%J Pharmacology & Pharmacy
%P 535-541
%@ 2157-9431
%D 2013
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/pp.2013.47077
%X <span style=\"font-family:Verdana;color:black;font-size:10pt;\">Ethnopharmacological relevance: </span><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';color:black;font-size:10pt;\"><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Aqarqarha (</span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Anacyclus pyrethrum</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">) DC root has long been used as a traditional an-tiepileptic remedy in Unani system of medicine over centuries. </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Aim of the Study: </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">To rationalize the ethnomedical claim and screen for anxiolytic and neurotoxicity profile of ethanolic extract of Aqarqarha (</span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Anacyclus pyrethrum</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">) root (APE). </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Materials and Methods: </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">The anticonvulsant and anxiolytic potential of APE (100-800 mg/kg) was evaluated against Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), Bicuculline (BCL), Increasing current electroshock (ICES) and Elevated plus maze(EPM) models. Rotarod test was employed as neurotoxicity model including an additional higher dose (1600 mg/kg). </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Results: </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">The APE showed significant anticonvulsant activity (p &lt; 0.001) against PTZ (70 mg/kg, </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">i.p.</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">) in a dose-dependent manner but against BCL (30 mg/kg, </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">i.p.</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">) at the dose 800 mg/kg only (p &lt; 0.001). However, it did not protect animals against ICES induced seizures (p &gt; 0.05). The extract also showed anxiolytic behaviour in EPM (p &lt; 0.001) and impaired motor coordination only at 1600 mg/kg in rotarod performance. HPTLC of the extract confirmed the presence of eugenol in the extract. </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Conclusions: </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">The results suggested significant anticonvulsant activity of APE against PTZ and BCL but failure against ICES. Moreover, APE also exhibited anxiolytic potential without any evidence of neurotoxicity at the effective dose level. We concluded that anticonvulsant effect of APE is probably mediated by enhancing GABAergic neurotransmission.</span></span>
%K Aqarqarha
%K HPTLC
%K Epilepsy
%K Aqarqarha (&lt
%K i&gt
%K Anacyclus pyrethrum&lt
%K /i&gt
%K )
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=37573