ABSTRACT
Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate anticonvulsant effect of Moringa oleifera on maximal electroshock (MES), pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and pilocarpine induced seizures. Methods: The ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera leaves (200mg/ Kg) was used to study its anticonvulsant effect on MES, PTZ and pilocarpine induced seizures in Swiss albino mice. Suppression of the tonic hind limb extension, duration of convulsion, abolition of convulsions was noted respectively for the above tests. Results: The ethanolic extracts of Moringa oleifera leaves (200mg/ Kg) significantly (p<0.001) abolished the hind limb extension induced by MES. The same dose also significantly (p<0.001) protected the animals from PTZ induced tonic convulsions. None of the animals treated with same dose of plant extract reached the status epilepticus state in pilocarpine induced seizures. Conclusions: The data suggests that the ethanolic extracts Moringa oleifera leaves may produce its anticonvulsant effect via different mechanisms since it prevented the hind limb extension induced by MES, decreased the duration of convulsions produced by PTZ and abolished status epilepticus in pilocarpine induced seizures.