Avaliação do potencial anticonvulsivante do Caryocar coriaceum Wittm

Abstract

Epilepsy is a chronic disease that affects approximately 1-2% of the world population and is characterized by the occurrence of spontaneous recurrent seizures that are caused by an abnormal discharge and synchronization of different neurons. Epilepsy is one of the most frequent neurological disorders and affects people regardless of age, gender, culture and economic factor. Since a significant number of patients with epilepsy present seizures refractory to available anticonvulsant drugs, it becomes important to search for new substances with anticonvulsant potential, and natural products are a promising source. In the most sententrional portion of the Brazilian Northeast is found the Caryocar Coriaceum Wittm-pequi species, which plays an important socio-economic role in the Araripe plateau and surroundings, in the states of Ceará, Pernambuco and Piauí, but studies for its biological activity are only a few. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the anticonvulsant potential of the fixed oil from the pulp of Caryocar Coriaceum Wittm and of the β-caryophyllene which is present in the fruit pulp in a model of epileptic seizures in C57BL/6 mice. Administration of the fixed oil from the pulp of the Caryocar Coriaceum (100 mg/kg, v.o.) resulted in a anticonvulsant activity against myoclonic seizures induced by pentilenotetrazol (PTZ). No adverse reaction on the motor functions was detected in the open field, rotarod, forced swimming or object recognition tests. We verified that the oil presented an efficient antioxidant potential in a free radical reduction method (DPPH, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl). Such antioxidant activity may contribute to the anticonvulsant effect of the fixed oil. The β-caryophyllene (100 mg/kg, i.p.) also increased the latency to the mioclonic seizures induced by the PTZ, without changing the animals performances in the open field test, forced swim or rotarod test. Nevertheless, this natural compound increased the mice performance in the object recognition test. The β-caryophyllene did not affect the changes induced by PTZ on the oxidative stress markers (TBARS increase and decrease of the levels of NPSH). Based on the present results, it can be suggested that the fixed oil from the pulp of Caryocar Coriaceum Wittm and β-caryophyllene display anticonvulsant potential. Complementary studies must be carried out to evaluate the safety and underlying mechanisms of the anticonvulsant effects.