Full Length Research Paper
Abstract
Medicinal plants are a vital source of new chemical substances with potential therapeutic effects. In many regions worldwide, these plants play a significant role in population healthcare. This study aimed to investigate the sedative and anticonvulsant potential of ethanolic extracts of Cymbopogon proximus (Mahareb) and Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Karkade), as well as possible hepatotoxicity. The study design involved dividing rats of both sexes into four groups (n = 5 per group): Group 1 (control, 10 ml/kg), Group 2 (standard drug, sodium valproate 0.4 g/kg), Group 3 (Mahareb, 1 g/kg), and Group 4 (Karkade, 1.8 g/kg). Sedative and anticonvulsant activities were assessed after 1 h of intraperitoneal injection of extracts using chemical and electrical models. Hepatotoxicity was determined by intraperitoneal administration of Karkade (10 ml/kg/day), VPA (0.4 g/kg/day), and NaCl 0.9% (10 ml/kg/day) for 7 consecutive days. The results showed that ethanolic extracts of Mahareb and Karkade had no effect on convulsions induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). However, Mahareb inhibited 80% of tested animals in the maximal electroshock (MES)-induced convulsions model. Both Mahareb and Karkade exhibited high sedating effects in the simple activity meter test. Furthermore, the combined treatment of Karkade with valproic acid (VPA) produced full protection against PTZ-induced convulsions and increased sedative potential. Hepatotoxicity studies revealed that Karkade did not affect serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST). In conclusion, all studied plant extracts demonstrated sedative effects. Mahareb extract displayed anticonvulsant effects against the MES model. The combination treatment of Karkade with VPA presented anticonvulsant activity on the PTZ model.
Key words: Cymbopogon proximus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, anticonvulsant, sedative, maximal electroshock model.
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