Anticonvulsant effects of hesperetin in animal model of pentylenetetrazole-induced-seizures

Hesperetin as the main flavonoid in citrus possesses various pharmacological properties including anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, the effects of hesperetin on seizures behavior and its function on total antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation has been investigated in pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures model. In this experimental study, thirty-five mice were divided into 5 experimental groups as control, saline and hesperetin at doses of 10, 20 or 50 mg/kg. Animals received orally the related interventions for 7 days. On day 7, 30 minutes after oral gavage, convulsion was induced by single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of PTZ at dose of 60 mg/kg. After recording of convulsion behaviors including latency to myoclonic jerks, latency and duration of generalized tonic-clonic seizures, time to death, measuring of Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) carried out in hippocampus tissues.
Findings: Pretreatment with hesperetin at dose of 50 mg/kg significantly increased the latency of myoclonic jerks (hesperetin 50: P=0.0323) and generalized tonic-clonic seizures (hesperetin 10: P= 0.0003, hesperetin 20: 0.0017, hesperetin 50: P=0.0040). Hesperetin application at dose of 10 mg/kg significantly reduced the levels of TBARS compared to control group. Any significant difference in FRAP levels was not observed between different experimental groups. The results of study indicate that hesperetin might be effective as supplementary treatment in epilepsy disorder.