Anticonvulsant activity of Morus alba and its effect on brain gamma-aminobutyric acid level in rats

Abstract

Sir, Morus alba (locally known as Tut, commonly known as white mulberry, Family: Moraceae) has been domesticated over thousands of years and adapted to many continents of Asia, Europe, North and South America and Africa with tropical, subtropical and temperate zones. As per Ayurveda, all parts of M. alba are medicinally important. In folk medicine, the plant is reportedly used in treating epileptic convulsions, mental illness, insomnia and hemicranias.[1] Number of active phytochemical constituents such as alkaloids,[2] flavonoids,[3] glycosides,[4,5] terpenoids,[6] steroids,[7] volatile oils, tannins,[8] has been reported from different parts of the plant. On the basis of reported traditional uses, we undertook the present study to determine the anticonvulsant activity of M. alba by using pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and maximal electroshock (MES) ‑ induced convulsion models in rats. M. alba leaves were collected at the Campus of Siddhartha Institute of Pharmacy, Dehradun. The plants were identified and authenticated by Dr. Imran Kazmi, Department of Pharmacognosy, Siddhartha Institute of Pharmacy, Dehradun. After collection, the plant leaves which were air‑dried under shade were pulverized using a mechanical grinder. Methanol/water (1:1) solvent was used for the extraction of the air‑dried pulverized leaves (100 g) to obtain methanolic extract of M. alba (MEMA).

Keywords: Morus alba; Anticonvulsant activity; Phytochemicals