Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

  Background: Regarding the prevalence of epilepsy in human society and with respect to inefficiency of the usual treatments, finding new strategies and methods for the medical treatment of epileptic patients are essential. Henbane seed has been used in Iranian traditional medicine as an anti-convulsion herb. With this regard the present study was carried out to consider the anti-convulsive effect of Henbane seed extract on the chemical kindling-induced convulsion.

  Methods: The present experimental study has been conducted at Medical Faculty of Shahed University in 2009. Sixty male mice have been chosen randomly and divided into 5 experimental groups including 12 mice in each group as follows: 1-control group receiving only Pentylene tetrazole (PTZ), 2^nd,3^rd and 4^th experimental groups received alcoholic extract of henbane seed in doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg intraperitoneally 30 minutes before PTZ injection and 5^th group was positive control that received valproic acid 100 mg/kg 30 minutes before PTZ injection. Chemical kindling was performed in all of them by a total of 11 treatments with intraperitoneal injection of PTZ 35 mg/kg at every 48 hours. In the 12^th injection all groups were tested for PTZ challenge dose (75 mg/kg). Mice were observed 30 minutes after the last injection to detect convulsion. Data analysis was carried out by One way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc tests.

  Results: Data analysis shows that administration of henbane seed extract had an inhibitory effect on the steps, progression and duration of seizure, especially in the last steps of convulsion. However, therapy with henbane seed extract resulted in an efficient anticonvulsive effect from the 8^th injection reaching the highest level of efficiency at the 12^th step (p<0.001) .

  Conclusion: The results obtained from the present study showed that alcoholic Hyoscyamus niger seed extract could have markedly alleviated PTZ-induced seizure phases in male mice. Also, the extract at 100 mg/kg significantly increased and reduced the threshold and duration of 5^th seizure phase.