Anti-Epileptic and Anti-Psychotic Effects of Ipomoea reniformis (Convolvulaceae) in Experimental Animals

Abstract

Ipomoea reniformis (IR) Choisy is claimed in Indian traditional medical practice to be useful in the treatment of epilepsy and neurological disorders. In the present study, methanolic extract of IR was evaluated for anti-epileptic and anti-psychotic activities in rodent models using standard procedures. Besides evaluating epileptic and behavioural parameters, neurotransmitters such as gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) in epilepsy and in psychosis, dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin contents were estimated in the rodent brain. IR extract pretreatment for 15 days reduced maximal electro shock, isonicotinyl hydrazine (INH) and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures and also significantly inhibited the attenuation of brain GABA levels by INH and PTZ in mice. These findings suggest that the observed beneficial effect of IR extract in epilepsy may be by enhancing the GABAergic system. The extract also inhibited apomorphine-induced climbing and stereotyped behaviours and showed significantly reduced levels of brain dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin which may be due to blocking of central dopaminergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic pathways or by enhancing the GABAergic system. The results of the present study suggest that the title plant possesses anti-epileptic and anti-psychotic activities in rodents.