Anticonvulsant Activity of Aqueous Extract of Root and Stem Bark of Newbouldia Laevis Seem

Newbouldia laevis Seem, is an ubiquitous perennial plant belonging to the family Bignoniaceae with varying applicability in ethnomedicine. The anticonvulsant effect of the aqueous extracts of root and stem bark preparations was undertaken using standard techniques. Results showed that the LD50 in mice was 489.8mg/kg body weight while 5.6mg/kg body weight protected mice against death due to minimum dose of leptazole which caused 100% mortality. The therapeutic index for N. laevis was 87.2 and its safety factor was 1.5. The extract of N. laevis appears to be more effective against drug-induced convulsion than electroshock seizures because the ED50 in metrazol test (5.6mg/kg body weight was significantly lower than the ED50 in MES test (63.1mg/kg body weight). We conclude that N. laevis is safe and will offer maximal benefit to patients suffering from seizures.