ABSTRACT
Aims: This study aimed at investigating the antioxidative, anticonvulsive and histological effects of ethanolic fruit extract of Dennettia tripetala on the pre-frontal lobe of the brain in isoniazid-induced (300 mg/kg, i.p) seizure in adult wistar rat. Introduction: Neuronal hyper-excitability and excessive production of free radicals have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a considerable range of neurological disorders, including epilepsy. The high rate of oxidative metabolism, coupled with the low antioxidant defenses and the richness in polyunsaturated fatty acids, makes the brain highly vulnerable to free radical damage. Study Design: This is an original research conducted in Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Parklane, Enugu State, Nigeria, between June and August, 2019. Methodology: A total number of twenty four wistar rats were used for this experiment, the animals were grouped into six groups with four animals per group, Group I served as the negative control, Group II served as the positive control, Group III received the standard drug as well as the Isoniazid, while group IV, V and VI were treated with ethanolic extract of Dennettia tripetala at different dosages; 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg and 750 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p) respectively and its effects compared with a standard drug (Pyridoxine) treated group. Results: The extract significantly prolonged the onset of seizure at high dose administration (750 mg/kg) but completely prevented seizure occurrence at low and medium dose administration (250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg, i.p) when induced with isoniazid (300 mg/kg, i.p.). Conclusion: The results obtained from this work suggest that ethanolic extract of Dennettia tripetala has anticonvulsant activity, and this supports the use of the formulation traditionally in the treatment of convulsions, thus should be considered for clinical trials.