Neuropharmacological activities of ethanol leaf extract of Cussonia barteri Seeman (Araliaceae) in laboratory animals

The anticonvulsant studies on Cussonia barteri Seeman (Araliaceae) were carried out using maximal electroshock test (MEST), pentylenetetrazole and strychnine-induced seizures model in chicks and mice. In addition, sedative and anxiolytic effect of the extract was evaluated using diazepam-induced sleeping time, hole-board, beam walk assay and open field test in mice. The extract was also evaluated for acute toxicity. The oral and intraperitoneal LD50 of the extract was estimated to be greater than 5,000 mg/kg and 2, 154.1 mg/kg body weight respectively. The extract did not protect the chicks against maximal electroshock seizure; neither did it shorten the mean recovery time. The extract produced 66.67% and 83.33% protection against strychnine and pentylenetetrazole induced seizures respectively at the highest dose (400 mg/kg) tested. The extract decreases the number of head dips in hole-board test, suggesting its sedative property, which was confirmed by the ability of extract to prolonged diazepam sleeping time. The extract did not significantly increase the time spent on the beam but at the highest dose tested significantly increased the number of foot slips, an index of motor coordination deficit. The extract insignificantly decreased number of rearing, Total Square and Central Square crossed in an open field test. These results suggest that the extract may contain compound(s) that may be beneficial in the management of absence or myoclonic seizures.Keywords: Cussonia barteri; Epilepsy; Seizure; Sedative; Anxiolytic