Effects of Enantia chlorantha extracts in Laboratory-Induced Convulsion and Inflammation

Objective: It was decided to investigate the effect of boiled and evaporated extracts of enantia chlorantha in reversing bicucculine-induced convulsions and carrageenan-induced inflammation in rodents. Methods: For the anticonvulsant study, intra-peritoneal doses of 130.0 – 550.0mg/kg of the herbal preparation, or 2 -6mg/kg of phenobarbitone, or distilled water were administered to groups of the animals (15 – 20g, n = 10) prior to the injection of 7.5mg/kg bicucculine 30minutes later. The latent period before the onset of convulsions in each group of animals was determined. For the anti-inflammatory study, intra-peritoneal doses of either 50.0 – 250.0mg/kg of various extracts of the herbal preparation or 30 – 100mg/kg aspirin or distilled water was administered to groups of rats of either sex (200 – 250g, n = 10). Each of the groups of rats then received 0.1ml of 1% of carrageen into the plantar tissue of the right hand paw. The resultant inflammatory oedema was assessed by measuring the percentage increase in the paw diameter. Results: While the evaporated aqueous herbal drug increased the latency of convulsion in all the treated animals, the aqueous extract did not, behaving rather similar to the control mice given distilled water. E. chlorantha did not compare well with phenobarbitone (2.0 – 6.0mg/kg) which protected all the animals from seizure. On the other hand, a dose dependent anti-inflammatory action of evaporated extract of E. Chlorantha (50.0 – 250.0mg/kg) in carrageenan induced inflammation was obtained showing a better efficacy than the boiled aqueous preparation and compared favorably with aspirin. E. chlorantha showed statistically significant activity at doses of 100.0 and 250.0mg/kg, exhibiting 67% and 90% inhibition respectively post 6h induction of inflammation. No inhibition was observed in the control group. Conclusion: E. chlorantha , especially the evaporated extract, exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effect on carrageenan-induced inflammatory oedema in rats. This effect is more gradual and more sustained than a similar effect of aspirin. E. chlorantha also prolonged the latency of bicucculine-induced convulsions in rats. Key Words: Inflammation, Convulsion, Enantia-Chlorantha extract Orient Journal of Medicine Vol.15(1&2) 2003: 68-71