NEUROPROTECTIVE PROPERITY OF CENTELLA ASIATICA AGAINST PENTYLENE- TETRAZOLE INDUCED EPILEPSY IN RAT BRAIN WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO LIPID METABOLISM

This study evaluated the anticonvulsant effect of different extracts of Centella asiatica (CA) with particular reference to lipid metabolism in different regions of rat brain. The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups having 6 in each group: i.e. Control group received saline, PTZ-induced  epileptic group (60mg/kg  b.w op/ 1 day), epileptic  group pretreated with  chloroform extract  (CE),  epileptic group pretreated with aqueous (AE)  extract and  epileptic  group  pretreated  with  diazepam  (DP;  Reference  control)  (2 mg/kg  b.w/ip/ day).  The  CA extract  is  administered at the  dose  of 200  mg/kg  body  weight  orally  for  one week.  The experimental results were observed that the decreased content of phospholipids in the entire brain regions i.e. Cerebral cortex (CC), Cerebellum (CB), Hippocampus (HC) and Pons medulla (PM); total cholesterol, triglycerides and increased content of Lipid peroxidation in epileptic rats. The reversal changes were observed on pre­ treatment with the chloroform extract of CA and diazepam. Hence, it is evident that the different   bioactive factors   of CA offered protection against   PTZ-induced epilepsy.