Anticonvulsant and antioxidant effects of Tilia americana var. mexicana and flavonoids constituents in the pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures

Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2014:2014:329172. doi: 10.1155/2014/329172. Epub 2014 Aug 13.

Abstract

Tilia genus is commonly used around the world for its central nervous system properties; it is prepared as tea and used as tranquilizing, anticonvulsant, and analgesic. In this study, anticonvulsant activity of the Tilia americana var. mexicana inflorescences and leaves was investigated by evaluating organic and aqueous extracts (100, 300, and 600 mg/kg, i.p.) and some flavonoids in the pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in mice. Moreover, antioxidant effect of these extracts and flavonoids was examined in an in vitro study by using spectrophotometric technique. Significant activity was observed in the methanol extract from inflorescences. An HPLC analysis of the methanol extract from inflorescences and leaves of Tilia allowed demonstrating the respective presence of some partial responsible flavonoid constituents: quercetin (20.09 ± 1.20 μg/mg and 3.39 ± 0.10 μg/mg), rutin (3.52 ± 0.21 μg/mg and 8.94 ± 0.45 μg/mg), and isoquercitrin (1.74 ± 0.01 μg/mg and 1.24 ± 0.13 μg/mg). In addition, significant but different antioxidant properties were obtained among the flavonoids and the extracts investigated. Our results provide evidence of the anticonvulsant activity of Tilia reinforcing its utility for central nervous system diseases whose mechanism of action might involve partial antioxidant effects due to the presence of flavonoids.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use*
  • Antioxidants / chemistry
  • Antioxidants / therapeutic use*
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Female
  • Flavonoids / analysis
  • Flavonoids / therapeutic use*
  • Flowers / chemistry
  • Flowers / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Pentylenetetrazole / toxicity
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Plant Leaves / metabolism
  • Quercetin / analogs & derivatives
  • Quercetin / analysis
  • Quercetin / isolation & purification
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / analysis
  • Rutin / analysis
  • Rutin / isolation & purification
  • Seizures / chemically induced
  • Seizures / drug therapy*
  • Seizures / pathology
  • Tilia / chemistry*
  • Tilia / metabolism

Substances

  • Anticonvulsants
  • Antioxidants
  • Flavonoids
  • Plant Extracts
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • isoquercitrin
  • Rutin
  • Quercetin
  • Pentylenetetrazole