EVALUATION OF ANTICONVULSANT ACTIVITY OF SEMECARPUS ANACARDIUM (LINN.) NUT EXTRACT

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the locomotor effect of chloroform extract of Semecarpus anacardium (Linn.) (CHSA) by using photoactometer. Its anticonvulsant property was tested against maximal electroshock (MES)-induced convulsion (MESIC), pentalenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced convulsion (PTZIC), strychnine-induced convulsion (SIC), picrotoxin-induced convulsion (PIC), isoniazid (INH)-induced convulsion (IIC) and 4-amino pyridine (4-AP)-induced convulsion (4-APIC) in mice. The gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) level was estimated by spectroscopic method. Significant reduction in locomotor scores were recorded with a diazepam (5 mg/kg) but not with CHSA (100, 200 & 400 mg/kg). In MESIC a phenytoin (25 mg/kg) was possessed anticonvulsant activity by decreased duration of tonic extension phase of the animals but not with CHSA. In PTZIC, SIC PIC, IIC and 4-APMIC models, a diazepam exhibited anticonvulsant effect,  the CHSA was ineffective among all those paradigms. Increased GABA level in the mice serum was observed with a gabapentin (20 mg/kg) treated group, in CHSA such effect was not observed. Hence it concluded that Semecarpus anacardium (Linn.) not possesses sedative and anticonvulsant properties