title: Evaluation of the antiepileptic effect of curcumin and Nigella sativa oil in the pilocarpine model of epilepsy in comparison with valproate.
abstract: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of curcumin and Nigella sativa oil (NSO) on amino acid neurotransmitter alterations and the histological changes induced by pilocarpine in the hippocampus and cortex of rats. Epilepsy was induced by i.p. injection of pilocarpine, and the animals were left for 22 days to establish spontaneous recurrent seizures. They were then treated with curcumin, NSO or valproate for 21 days. Pilocarpine induced a significant increase in hippocampal aspartate and a significant decrease in glycine and taurine levels. In the cortex, a significant increase in aspartate, glutamate, GABA, glycine, and taurine levels was obtained after pilocarpine injection. Treatment of pilocarpinized rats with curcumin and valproate ameliorated most of the changes in amino acid concentrations and reduced the histopathological abnormalities induced by pilocarpine. N. sativa oil failed to improve the pilocarpine-induced abnormalities. This may explain the antiepileptic effect of curcumin and suggest its use as an anticonvulsant.
authors.affiliation: Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. neveen.nour5@gmail.com
authors.forename: Neveen A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Noor
authors.forename: Heba S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Aboul Ezz
authors.forename: Abdel Razik
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Faraag
authors.forename: Yasser A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Khadrawy
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003292:Convulsants; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003619:Dansyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D031881:Nigella sativa / Q000737:chemistry*; D010862:Pilocarpine; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029974:Carum
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D003292:Convulsants; D003619:Dansyl Compounds; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D010938:Plant Oils; D010862:Pilocarpine; D014635:Valproic Acid; C104525:caraway oil; D003474:Curcumin