Tsyvunin V. Search for new anticonvulsant medicines of herbal origin (experimental study)

The dissertation is devoted to the experimental justification of the use of herbal medicines in the treatment of epilepsy and seizures. According to the results of the screening of 56 dry herbal extracts on the model of pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures, 5 promising extracts have been identified: Fumaria schleicheri dry extract (FSDE), Ocimum basilicum dry extract (OBDE), Corylus avellana dry extract, as well as extracts of Leonurus cardiaca. The range of anticonvulsant action for these extracts has been identified in the in-depth study on the models of chemoinduced seizures. For FSDE and OBDE their additional protective effect on convulsions induced by maximal electroshock has been verified. High efficiency of FSDE has been proven on the model of pentylenetetrazole-induced kindling that is predictive of distinct anti-epileptic potential of the extract. Favorable profile of psychotropic properties (anxiolytic, anti-amnestic, cerebroprotective effects) of FSDE has been identified. Anticonvulsant properties of FSDE are mediated by increasing the level of cerebral GABA while reducing the content of glutamate and aspartate, as well as by cytokine profile and nerve growth factor expression. A favorable safety profile has been determined for FSDE – it belongs to the V class of toxicity – practically non-toxic substances.