title: Anticonvulsant Activity of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Citrullus colocynthis Fruit: Involvement of Benzodiazepine and Opioid Receptors.
abstract: This study investigated the anticonvulsant activity of Citrullus colocynthis fruit extract used traditionally in the treatment of convulsion. Albino mice were pretreated with extract in different doses (10, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg), prior to injection of pentylenetetrazole. Animals received pretreatments with naloxone and flumazenil to further clarify the mechanisms of anticonvulsant action. The total flavonoid content of Citrullus colocynthis extract was also determined. Citrullus colocynthis hydroalcoholic extract with doses 25 and 50 mg/kg prolonged the onset of seizures and decreased the duration compared with control group. Pretreatment by flumazenil could inhibit the effect of Citrullus colocynthis on latency of seizure to some extent and administration of naloxone significantly inhibited changes in latency and duration of seizure produced by Citrullus colocynthis This study showed that Citrullus colocynthis has significant anticonvulsant effect in pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in mice, and these effects may be related to its effect on γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic and opioid systems. These results confirmed the traditional use of Citrullus colocynthis in Iranian traditional medicine.
authors.affiliation: Razi Drug Research Center, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehrzadi
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Islamic and Complementary Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Asie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shojaii
authors.affiliation: Razi Drug Research Center, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sogol Attari
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Pur
authors.affiliation: Razi Drug Research Center, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran motevalian.m@iums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Manijeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motevalian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D065986:Citrullus colocynthis / Q000737:chemistry*; D005419:Flavonoids; D005442:Flumazenil; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D041743:Herb-Drug Interactions; D008297:Male; D008514:Medicine, Arabic; D051379:Mice; D009270:Naloxone; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000378:metabolism*; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D005419:Flavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D009270:Naloxone; D005442:Flumazenil; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole
keywords: Citrullus colocynthis; anticonvulsant; naloxane; pentylenetetrazole; traditional persian medicine