Anticonvulsant and antioxidant effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Valeriana wallichii rhizomes in acute and chronic models of epilepsy in albino rats

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the aetiology of seizure-induced neuronal death. The present study was aimed to evaluate the anticonvulsant and antioxidant activity of hydroalcoholic extract of Valeriana wallichii (HAEVW) rhizomes in albino rats. Flavonoids possess a potent anticonvulsant effect through modulation of GABA/BDZ receptor and neuroprotective effect by regulating oxidative stress in PTZ-induced convulsion. Total phenolics and flavonoids content of HAEVW rhizomes were measured and the anticonvulsant activity was evaluated using PTZ and MES induced convulsion models. The in-vivo antioxidant activity was evaluated using the PTZ-kindled model by estimating brain malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), and nitric oxide (NO). It was observed that the flavonoids content of the extract was 80% of the total phenolics content and HAEVW (200 and 400 mg/kg) showed a significant (P <0.01) delay in onset, decrease in duration of tonic convulsion and hind limb tonic extension (HLTE) in PTZ and MES induced convulsion respectively. In the PTZ-kindling model, HAEVW rhizomes (400 mg/kg) restored the MDA and all antioxidant parameters to normal except NO. It was concluded that flavonoids of rhizomes of V. wallichii may be responsible for the anticonvulsant and antioxidant activity of the extract