title: Alteration of pentylenetetrazole-induced seizure threshold by chronic administration of ginger (Zingiber officinale) extract in male mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae), or ginger, used in traditional Chinese medicine, has antioxidant activity and neuroprotective effects. The effects of this plant on clonic seizure have not yet been studied.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study evaluated the anticonvulsant effect of ginger in a model of clonic seizures induced with pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) in male mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The anticonvulsant effect of Z. officinale was investigated using i.v. PTZ-induced seizure models in mice. Different doses of the hydroethanolic extract of Z. officinale (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) were administered intraperitonal (i.p.), daily for 1 week before induction of PTZ. Phenobarbital sodium (30 mg/kg), a reference standard, was also tested for comparison. The effect of ginger on to the appearance of three separate seizure endpoints, e.g., myoclonic, generalized clonic, and tonic extension phase, was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hydroethanolic extract of Z. officinale significantly increased the onset time of myoclonic seizure at doses of 25-100 mg/kg (55.33 ± 1.91 versus 24.47 ± 1.33 mg/kg, p < 0.001) and significantly prevented generalized clonic (74.64 ± 3.52 versus 47.72 ± 2.31 mg/kg, p < 0.001) and increased the threshold for the forelimb tonic extension (102.6 ± 5.39 versus 71.82 ± 7.82 mg/kg, p < 0.01) seizure induced by PTZ compared with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the results, the hydroethanolic extract of ginger has anticonvulsant effects, possibly through an interaction with inhibitory and excitatory systems, antioxidant mechanisms, and oxidative stress inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Science, Bu-Ali Sina University , Hamedan , Iran.
authors.forename: Abdolkarim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.forename: Naser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mirazi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D020939:Zingiber officinale; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole / Q000633:toxicity*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole
keywords: Anticonvulsant effect; PTZ-induced seizure; antioxidant activity; clonic seizure; forelimb/hindlimbs tonic extension; neuroprotective effect; traditional Chinese medicine