Protective Effects of Aqueous and Alcoholic Extracts of Piper longum in Experimental Rodent Models of Seizures

Epilepsy affects 5 to 10 per 1000 of the general population. It is the third most common neurological disorder after stroke and Alzheimer's disease. Available anti-convulsant drugs effectively control epilepsy in about 50% of the patients. Many epileptic seizures are refractory to current anti-epileptic drugs and safety of the anti-epileptic drugs has always been a concern. Herbal drugs may serve as the alternative for some such patients. Many plants have been used for the treatment of epilepsy in traditional system of medicines have shown useful anti-seizure activity. Herbal remedies have become popular, due in part to the lower risk of adverse reactions. Thousands of plants have been used traditionally to treat various diseases. Among them, species of the genus Piper are important medicinal plants used in various systems of medicine. The Piper longum fruit has been used in traditional medicine, including the Ayurvedic system of medicine. Although there are numerous indications for its use and plant contains many active constituents, controlled trials are needed to determine its anti-epileptic efficacy in small animals. The present study was done to evaluate anti-seizure activity of fruits of Piper longum on animal models of seizures and also to find out effectiveness of aqueous and alcoholic extract.