The effect of pretreatment with essential oils (EOs) from eight aromatic plants on the seizure latency and severity of pentylenetetrazol- (PTZ-) induced seizures in mice was evaluated. Weight-dependent doses of Rosmarinus officinalis, Ocimum basilicum, Mentha spicata, Mentha pulegium, Lavandula angustifolia, Mentha piperita, Origanum dictamnus, and Origanum vulgare, isolated from the respective aromatic plants from NE Greece, were administered 60 minutes prior to intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of a lethal dose of PTZ to eight respective groups of Balb-c mice. Control group received only one i.p. PTZ injection. Motor and behavioral activity of the animals after EOs administration, development of tonic-clonic seizures, seizure latency and severity, and percentage of survival after PTZ administration were determined for each group. All groups of mice treated with the EOs showed reduced activity and stability after the administration of the oil, except for those treated with O. vulgare (100% mortality after the administration of the oil). After PTZ administration, mice from the different groups showed increased latency and reduced severity of seizures (ranging from simple twitches to complete seizures). Mice who had received M. piperita demonstrated no seizures and 100% survival. The different drastic component and its concentration could account for the diversity of anticonvulsant effects. 1. Introduction Several EOs derived from a variety of plants have been traditionally used as alternative treatments for headaches, migraines, allergies, fatigue, and stress; also, they have long been used as antibacterial agents due to their antimicrobial properties [1]. It is only, in recent years though, that interest has been focused on their possible use as a treatment for diseases of the Central Nervous System (CNS) due to the analgesic, anxiolytic, antidepressant, and antiepileptic properties that they possess. Studies are currently highlighting their potential role in cases of neurological disorders such as epilepsy, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease, [2–6] particularly focusing on their antioxidant as well as anticonvulsant effects [7–9]. Epilepsy is the term used to describe a group of disorders characterized by recurrent spontaneous seizures that apparently result from complex processes involving several neurotransmitter systems such as the glutamatergic, cholinergic, and gabaergic systems [10]. Actual estimations of the prevalence rate for epilepsy are 1-2% of the world population [11], and despite the fact that there is a considerable number of classic and
References
[1]
A. Alexopoulos, A. C. Kimbaris, S. Plessas et al., “Antibacterial activities of essential oils from eight Greek aromatic plants against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus,” Anaerobe, vol. 17, no. 6, pp. 399–402, 2011.
[2]
M. R. Loizzo, F. Menichini, R. Tundis et al., “In vitro biological activity of Salvia leriifolia Benth essential oil relevant to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease,” Journal of Oleo Science, vol. 58, no. 8, pp. 443–446, 2009.
[3]
W. Zhou, S. Fukumoto, and H. Yokogoshi, “Components of lemon essential oil attenuate dementia induced by scopolamine,” Nutritional Neuroscience, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 57–64, 2009.
[4]
D. P. De Sousa, F. F. F. Nóbrega, L. C. S. L. De Morais, and R. N. De Almeida, “Evaluation of the anticonvulsant activity of terpinen-4-ol,” Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung C, vol. 64, no. 1-2, pp. 1–5, 2009.
[5]
A. Wahab, R. U. Haq, A. Ahmed, R. A. Khan, and M. Raza, “Anticonvulsant activities of nutmeg oil of Myristica fragrans,” Phytotherapy Research, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 153–158, 2009.
[6]
R. Ramezani, A. Moghimi, H. Rakhshandeh, H. Ejtehadi, and M. Kheirabadi, “The effect of Rosa damascena essential oil on the amygdala electrical kindling seizures in rat,” Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 746–751, 2008.
[7]
H. P. Singh, S. Mittal, S. Kaur, D. R. Batish, and R. K. Kohli, “Characterization and antioxidant activity of essential oils from fresh and decaying leaves of Eucalyptus tereticornis,” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 57, no. 15, pp. 6962–6966, 2009.
[8]
M. L. Ashour, M. El-Readi, M. Youns et al., “Chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oil obtained from Bupleurum marginatum (Apiaceae),” Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, vol. 61, no. 8, pp. 1079–1087, 2009.
[9]
J. B. Jeong, S. Y. Ju, J. H. Park et al., “Antioxidant activity in essential oils of Cnidium officinale makino and Ligusticum chuanxiong hort and their inhibitory effects on DNA damage and apoptosis induced by ultraviolet B in mammalian cell,” Cancer Epidemiology, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 41–46, 2009.
[10]
R. N. De Almeida, M. De Fátima Agra, F. N. S. Maior, and D. P. De Sousa, “Essential oils and their constituents: anticonvulsant activity,” Molecules, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 2726–2742, 2011.
[11]
“Mental health: new understanding new hope,” The World Health Report, WHO, 2001.
[12]
M. Bhatnagar, “Novel leads from herbal drugs for neurodegenerative diseases,” in Herbal Drugs: Ethnomedicine to Modern Medicine, K. G. Ramawat, Ed., pp. 221–238, Springer, Berlin, Germany, 2009.
[13]
A. C. Kimbaris, D. P. Papachristos, A. Michaelakis, et al., “Toxicity of plant essential oil vapours to aphid pests and their coccinellid predators,” Biocontrol Science and Technology, vol. 20, pp. 411–422, 2010.
[14]
R. P. Adams, Identification of Essential Oils Components by Gas Chromatography/Quadrupole Mass Spectroscopy, Allured, Carol Stream, Ill, USA, 2007.
[15]
N. A. Jones, A. J. Hill, S. E. Weston et al., “Cannabidiol exerts anti-convulsant effects in animal models of temporal lobe and partial seizures,” Seizure, 2011.
[16]
O. Pagonopoulou, F. Angelatou, and G. Kostopoulos, “Effect of pentylentetrazol-induced seizures of A1 adenosine receptor regional density in the mouse brain: a quantitative autoradiographic study,” Neuroscience, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 711–716, 1993.
[17]
E. S. Burley and J. A. Ferrendelli, “Regulatory effects of neurotransmitters on electroshock and pentylenetetrazol seizures,” Federation Proceedings, vol. 43, no. 10, pp. 2521–2524, 1984.
[18]
M. A. Mirski and J. A. Ferrendelli, “Selective metabolic activation of the mammillary bodies and their connections during ethosuximide-induced suppression of pentylenetetrazol seizures,” Epilepsia, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 194–203, 1986.
[19]
J. C. Fowler and L. D. Partridge, “The effect of pentylenetetrazol on inward currents of non-bursting neurons and its role in plateau formation,” Brain Research, vol. 304, no. 1, pp. 47–58, 1984.
[20]
T. C. Pellmar and W. A. Wilson, “Synaptic mechanism of pentylenetetrazole: selectivity for chloride conductance,” Science, vol. 197, no. 4306, pp. 912–914, 1977.
[21]
J. W. Prichard, “Pentylenetetrazol-induced increase in chloride permeability of leech neurons,” Brain Research, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 414–417, 1971.
[22]
J. A. Farco and O. Grundmann, “Menthol—pharmacology of an important naturally medicinal ‘cool’,” Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 124–131, 2013.
[23]
E. Jain, Y. Kumar, J. Stables, and R. Sinha, “Menthone semicarbazides and thiosemicarbazides as anticonvulsant agents,” Medicinal Chemistry, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 44–50, 2010.
[24]
J. Jain, Y. Kumar, R. Sinha, R. Kumar, and J. Stables, “Menthone aryl acid hydrazones: a new class of anticonvulsants,” Medicinal Chemistry, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 56–61, 2011.
[25]
A. Bertoli, M. Leonardi, J. Krzyzanowska, W. Oleszek, and L. Pistelli, “Mentha longifolia in vitro cultures as safe source of flavouring: ingredients,” Acta Biochimica Polonica, vol. 58, no. 4, pp. 581–587, 2011.
[26]
F. S. Sharopov, M. A. Kukaniev, and W. N. Setzer, “Composition of the essential oil of Origanum tyttanthum from Tajikistan,” Natural Product Communications, vol. 6, no. 11, pp. 1719–1722, 2011.
[27]
M. Raza, A. A. Alghasham, M. S. Alorainy, and T. M. El-Hadiyah, “Potentiation of valproate-induced anticonvulsant response by Nigella sativa seed constituents: the role of GABA receptors,” International Journal of Health Sciences, vol. 2, pp. 15–25, 2008.
[28]
T. Sakurada, H. Kuwahata, S. Katsuyama et al., “Intraplantar injection of bergamot essential oil into the mouse hindpaw: effects on capsaicin-induced nociceptive behaviors,” International Review of Neurobiology, vol. 85, pp. 237–248, 2009.
[29]
E. Elisabetsky, J. Marschner, and D. O. Souza, “Effects of linalool on glutamatergic system in the rat cerebral cortex,” Neurochemical Research, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 461–465, 1995.
[30]
E. Elisabetsky, L. F. S. Brum, and D. O. Souza, “Anticonvulsant properties of linalool in glutamate-related seizure models,” Phytomedicine, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 107–113, 1999.
[31]
L. Re, S. Barocci, S. Sonnino et al., “Linalool modifies the nicotinic receptor-ion channel kinetics at the mouse neuromuscular junction,” Pharmacological Research, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 177–181, 2000.
[32]
L. F. Silva Brum, E. Elisabetsky, and D. Souza, “Effects of linalool on [3H] MK801 and [3H] muscimol binding in mouse cortical membranes,” Phytotherapy Research, vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 422–425, 2001.
[33]
V. D. M. Linck, A. L. da Silva, M. Figueiró et al., “Inhaled linalool-induced sedation in mice,” Phytomedicine, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 303–307, 2009.
[34]
M. T. Monforte, O. Tzakou, A. Nostro, V. Zimbalatti, and E. M. Galati, “Chemical composition and biological activities of Calamintha officinalis Moench essential oil,” Journal of Medicinal Food, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 297–303, 2011.
[35]
D. P. de Sousa, F. F. F. Nóbrega, M. R. V. de Lima, and R. N. de Almeida, “Pharmacological activity of (R)-(+)-pulegone, a chemical constituent of essential oils,” Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung C, vol. 66, no. 7-8, pp. 353–359, 2011.
[36]
N. L. M. Quint？o, G. F. Da Silva, C. S. Antonialli, L. W. Rocha, V. C. Filho, and J. F. Cicció, “Chemical composition and evaluation of the anti-hypernociceptive effect of the essential oil extracted from the leaves of Ugni myricoides on inflammatory and neuropathic models of pain in mice,” Planta Medica, vol. 76, no. 13, pp. 1411–1418, 2010.
