Herbal Medicine: Open Access

Phytochemical Screening and Anticonvulsant Activity of the Residual Aqueous Fraction of Tapinanthus globiferus Growing on Ficus glums

Tapinanthus globiferus (Loranthaceae) is a plant used in traditional medicine for the treatment of rheumatism, syphilis, fever and epilepsy. In this study, the acute toxicity study revealed an oral LD50 of ≥ 5000 mg/kg. The anticonvulsant activity of the residual aqueous fraction was investigated at doses of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/ kg using the Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced seizure and maximal electroshock seizure models in mice and chicks. In the PTZ induced seizure the fraction offered 62.5% protection against seizure and prolonged the onset of seizure from 54.23 ± 6.12s to 290.86 ± 14.43s. The plant decreased the minimum recovery time (MRT) after hind limb tonic extension (HTLE) from 213.4 ± 19.12s to 136 ± 16.1s in the 500 mg/kg group.

The CNS depressant effect was also studied using the Diazepam induce sleep model. The fraction used dose dependently decreased the onset of diazepam induced sleep 160.03 ± 19.24.s to 28.00 ± 7.18.s, with a marked increase in duration of sleep 39.00 ± 12.53 min to 198.17 ± 27.28 min in the 1000 mg/kg treated group.

The data obtained from this study suggest that the residual aqueous portion of the dried whole plant of Tapinanthus globiferus may possess bioactive compounds with anticonvulsant effect.

Author(s):

Abubakar K, Adebisi IM, Ugwah-Oguejiofor JC, Idris GO, Idris B and Mshelia HE

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