Neuroprotective effects of vitexin, a flavonoid, on pentylenetetrazole-induced seizure in rats.

Flavonoids are important constituents of food and beverages and have several neuropharmacological activities. Many of these compounds are ligands for γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors in the central nervous system. This study aimed to investigate the anticonvulsant effects of intracerebroventricularly administered vitexin (5, 7, 4-trihydroxyflavone-8-glucoside), a flavonoid found in plants, in rats treated with pentylenetetrazole (90 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) and to clarify the underlying mechanism. Vitexin (100 and 200 µm, i.c.v) affected minimal clonic seizures and generalized tonic-clonic seizures induced by pentylenetetrazole by increasing the seizure onset time. Pretreatment with flumazenil suppressed the anticonvulsant effects of vitexin during the onset of both the seizures. These results indicate that vitexin has anticonvulsant effects in the brain, possibly through interaction at the benzodiazepine site of the γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor complex.