Protective Effects of Crude Extract and Fractions of Newbouldia laevis Leaves in Chemoconvulsant-Induced Seizures

Oyetunji T. Kolawole¹*, Oluwaseyi A. Adeyeba², Olufunsho Awodele³, Olayemi K. Wakeel¹, Akeem A. Ayankunle¹ 

¹Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria 

²Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria

³Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, University of Lagos, Nigeria

Corresponding Author: [email protected]; Tel: +234 803 932 8444

Recieved Date: December 07, 2020; Accepted Date: February 01, 2021; Published Date: 03 February 2021

Citation: Kolawole OT, Adeyeba OA, Awodele O, Wakeel OK, Ayankunle AA. Protective Effects of Crude Extract and Fractions of Newbouldia laevis Leaves in Chemoconvulsant-Induced Seizures. Trop J Nat Prod Res. 2021; 5(1):217-224. https://doi.org/10.26538/tjnpr/v5i1.30

Copyright: © 2021 Kolawole et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

ABSTRACT

Millions of people around the world suffer from the burden of neurologic and neuropsychiatric disorders, including epilepsy. Newbouldia laevis is a medicinal plant used for the management of epilepsy in some developing nations. However, studies directed at validating its efficacy are few. In this study, the efficacy of crude extract (NLE), n-butanol fraction (BPE), n-hexane fraction (HPE) and ethylacetate fraction (EAPE) of N. laevis to modulate chemoconvulsant-induced seizures was investigated in mice. Picrotoxin, pentylenetetrazole, and strychnine models of convulsion were used for the assessment of the anticonvulsant property of the plant. Following oral pretreatment of mice with graded doses (150 – 600 mg/kg b.w) of crude extract and fractions of N. laevis, seizure was induced by intraperitoneal administration of the picrotoxin, pentylenetetrazole, or strychnine. Seizure latency, duration of seizure, and mortality were recorded thereafter. Possible receptor targets for N. laevis were evaluated using flumazenil and naloxone. In the picrotoxin and pentylenetetrazole models, the crude extract and fractions caused a significant increase (p<0.05) in seizure latency, and a decrease in duration of seizure and mortality compared to the control, but no significant changes were observed in these parameters in the strychnine-induced convulsion. Flumazenil and naloxone antagonized the protective effects of NLE against chemoconvulsant-induced seizures, but NLE was not effective against seizures induced by strychnine. Findings from this study indicate that N. laevis leaves possess anticonvulsant effects, and these effects are likely mediated through GABAergic and opioidergic transmission systems.