EFFECT OF HELIOTROPIUM HIRSUTISSIMUM, HELIOTROPIUM DOLOSUM AND HELIOTROPIUM LASIOCARPUM METHANOLIC EXTRACTS IN PENTYLENTETRAZOL INDUCED CONVULSIONS ON MICE

Objective: Epilepsy is a common neurological problem known since ancient times. Modern treatment of epilepsy includes treatment with drugs to avoid seizures. Search for new antiepileptic drugs continues due to the presence of resistant patients to drug treatment. Plants are important sources of new drug discovery for epilepsy. We aimed to evaluate anticonvulsive activity of methanolic extracts of Heliotropium (Scorpion herb, Herb for warts in Turkish) species namely Heliotropium hirsutissimum Grauer, H. dolosum De Not and H. lasiocarpum Fisch. et Mey. on mice. Material and Method: PTZ (pentylentetrazol) is used for the induction of convulsions. Experimental groups are PTZ and 3 groups of extracts of aforementioned Heliotropium species+PTZ. Result and Discussion: In H. hirsutissimum and H. lasiocarpum groups, number of animals having tonic-clonic convulsions was decreased compared to PTZ and H. dolosum groups however difference was found insignificant. Latency time for first myoclonic convulsion and latency time for first tonic-clonic convulsion were prolonged in all Heliotropium groups compared to PTZ group (p>0.05). Number of ex animals following tonicclonic convulsions decreased in Heliotropium groups (p>0.05). Tonic-clonic convulsion period decreased in H. hirsutissimum and H. lasiocarpum (p>0.05). When results are evaluated together Heliotropium species may have an ethnopharmacological relevance for its anticonvulsive usage