Antiepileptic Potential and Composition of the Fruit Essential Oil of Ferula Gummosa boiss

The fruit essential oil of Ferula gummosa boiss., Umbelliferae, which has been used as an antiepileptic remedy in Iranian traditional medicine, was evaluated for anticonvulsant activity against experimental seizures. The essential oil had no effect against seizures induced by maximal electroshock. However, it protected mice against pentylenetetrazole-induced tonic seizures. The protective dose produced neurotoxicity. Moreover, this dose was too close to the LD50 of the essential oil. Gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analyses of the essential oil revealed the presence of alpha-pinene (50.1%), alpha-pinene (18.3%), 3-carene (6.7%), alpha-thujene (3.3%) and sabinene (3.1%) as the main components. The anticonvulsant and toxic effects of the essential oil may be related to the compounds pinene and alpha-thujene respectively that present in the essential oil.