Protective effect of Caesalpinia Ferrea galactomannan in a mice model of seizures

Epilepsy is a public health problem of social and economic impact, characterized by the brain predisposition to generate persistent seizures accompanied by an increased oxidative stress. Plant polysaccharides emerge as an alternative therapy due to its immunomodulator and neuroprotective effects, along with low toxicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective and antioxidative effects of the galactomannan isolated from the endosperm of C. ferrea (Cf-GM) in the mice model of pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures. Male Swiss mice (25-35 g) were treated by intraperitoneal (I.p.) route with Cf-GM (1-27 mg/kg) or 0.9% NaCl. Thirty min later, the animals were submitted to behavioral tests (open field, elevated plus maze, hole board, tail suspension and acute seizures). The anticonvulsant effect was evaluated in the model of acute seizures induced by pentylenetetrazole- PTZ (70 mg/kg; (I.p.) and the oxidative stress quantified in brain areas (prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and corpus striatum). Cf-GM inhibited the exploratory behavior, reducing the number of crossing (29-54%) and rearing (61-78%) in the Open Field test. Cf-GM also inhibited the permanence time and the entrance number in the open arms of the elevated plus maze, and the number of head dips (46-73%) in the hole board but increased (49%) the immobility time in the tail suspension test. In the model of seizures, Cf-GM increased the death latency and the animal’s survival, inhibiting the oxidative stress via reduction of malondialdehyde (MDA) and increase of reduced glutathione (GSH). The galactomannan of C. ferrea exhibits protective effects, modulating biomarkers of oxidative stress in the mice model of pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures.