Anticonvulsant Studies of Methanol Extract of Hippocratea welwitschii

The dried root of Hippocreatea welwitschii Oliv. is used as a folk remedy for the treatment of epilepsy in the Ukunafum traditional system of medicine in Akwa Ibom, South South Nigeria. We carried out anticonvulsant screening of methanol extract of Hippocratea welwitschii Oliv utilizing the 4-amino phyridine, picrotoxin, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and effects of flumazenil on the extracts on PTZ-induced seizures in mice. The doses used for the extract were 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg. The extract offered 70% protection against NMDA-induced clonic seizures. The extracts offered no protection against picrotoxin. The extract did not produce a rational protection against 4-AP induced seizure. However, there is an upsurge in the mean onset of seizure and time of death in the tested animals. The results suggest the presence of anticonvulsant compounds. Further investigation for isolation of active compounds and elucidation of the mechanism of anticonvulsant action is required.