The effects of Tilia platphyllos scop. extract on seizure induced by picrotoxin and pentylentetrazole in mice

The effects of Tilia plathphyllos scop. in a nervous disorder, including seizure was reported in traditional literatures. In the present investigation, the effects of methanolic extract of T. plathyphyllos on seizure induced by picrotoxin and pentylentetrazole were studied in mice. In this experimental study, groups of 5 animals pretreated with doses of 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg of methanolic extract of flowering branches of T. plathyphyllos, via intraperitoneal injection. After 20 minutes each animal received picrotoxin 10 mg/kg or pentylentetrazole 80 mg/kg intraperitoneally, for induction of seizure. Latency of seizure, death time and percent of death were determined in treated and control groups. The latency of seizure induce by picrotoxin were increased in groups that pretreated with doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg of T. plathyphyllos extract, from 208 Sec to 298(p<0.05) and 570 Sec (p<0.01) respectively. The latency of seizure induced by pentylentetrazole were increased with dose of 200 mg/kg, from 233 Sec to 351 Sec (p<0.01). The dose of 200 mg/kg of extract delayed the death time induced by picrotoxin from 1237 to 1498 Sec ( p<0.05) and pentylentetrazole from 1973 to 2508 Sec (p<0.01). In additin the percentage of mortality from seizure induced by picrotoxin and pentylentetrazole from 100% were decreased to 80% (p<0.05) and 40% (p<0.01) respectively.
Methanolic extract of flowering branches of T. plathyphyllos delayed the onset of seizure, death time and decreased the percentage of mortality from picrotoxin and pentylentetrazole. Further studies are needed to use this plant as an antiseizure agent.