OBJECTIVE

In the present study, the effects of aqueous, ethanolic and chloroformic extracts of Rosa damascena on pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures were investigated in mice.

METHODS

The animals were divided into the following groups: normal saline control group, diazepam group (3 mg/kg), three aqueous extract groups (100, 500 and 1 000 mg/kg), three ethanolic extract groups (100, 500 and 1 000 mg/kg) and three chloroformic extract groups (100, 500 and 1 000 mg/kg). The extracts, normal saline or diazepam were injected intraperitoneally 30 min before PTZ injection. Latency to the first minimal clonic seizure (MCS) and generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTCS) and the percent of mortality of rats in each group were recorded.

RESULTS

Significant increases in both MCS and GTCS latencies were observed in all the three aqueous extract groups in comparison with the normal saline control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The MCS latency in the ethanolic extract (1 000 mg/kg) group and the GTCS latencies in the two ethanolic extract (500 and 1 000 mg/kg) groups were higher than those in the normal saline control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). There were no significant differences in MCS and GTCS latencies between the three chloroformic extract groups and the normal saline control group. No significant differences were seen in mortality rate following PTZ administration between the different extracts-treated mice and the control mice.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study showed that R. damascena has an anticonvulsant effect in a mouse model of PTZ-induced seizures but the exact mechanism of this effect should be clarified in future studies.