Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part A (2025)

Temporal lobe epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects approximately 70 million people worldwide. Its treatment is mainly based on the use of antiepileptic drugs which are very expensive, and also present numerous side effects. Hence the need to search for more effective active compounds than the classical molecules has been considered. From the Combretaceae family, Guiera senegalensisis used in traditional medicine to treat many diseases. The main objective of the present research was to evaluate the antiepileptogenic and anxiolytic potentials of the aqueous extract of Guiera senegalensison post-status epilepticus model in mice. For this purpose, 40 white mice were divided into 8 groups of 5 mice, each treated as follows: a normal and negative control group treated with distilled water (10 mL/kg, p.o.), two positive control groups treated either with diazepam (4 mg/kg i.p.) or sodium valproate (300 mg/kg, i.p.), and four test groups treated with the aqueous extract of Guiera senegalensis(37.5, 75, 150, 300 mg/kg, p.o.). Treatments were performed after induction of status epilepticus by pilocarpine (320 mg/kg, i.p.), and continued till the end of behavioral tests. Three days after induction, behavioral parameters were recorded respectively in the elevated plus maze, hole board, and open field. On the last day of behavioral tests, the animals were sacrificed and some markers of neurotransmission, oxidative stress, and pro-inflammatory cytokines were estimated in the hippocampus. Furthermore, histological analysis of the hippocampus was performed. The extract reduced the duration, and the number of tonic and clonic seizures. However, it increased the latency of tonic and clonic seizures. In the elevated plus maze, the extract reduced the number of entries in the closed arms and increased those in the open arms. The extract also increased the number of head dippings in the open arms and reduced the number of rearings in the closed arms. In the hole board, the extract decreased the latency of head dippings and lines crossed. The extract increased the concentration of GABA and decreased the activity of GABA-T. On the other hand, it reduced the concentration of MDA and increased that of GSH. The extract also decreased the concentration of IL-1β and TNF-α. Finally, histological analysis of the hippocampus revealed the neuroprotective effects of the extract against pilocarpine-induced neuronal loss. These results suggest that the extract possess antiepileptogenic and anxiolytic effects. These results why this plant is used to treat neurological disorders in tradition medicine.