Ameliorative Effects of Ellagic Acid on Maximal Electroshock and Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizures in Mice

Epilepsy is a series of disorders in the central nervous system defined by disruption and abnormality in the electrical activity of the brain. The mechanisms of epilepsy occurrence are not fully determined and the current pharmacological therapeutics have low efficacy and are associated with adverse reactions due to narrow therapeutic indices. Ellagic acid has neuroprotective and antioxidant effects and increases the brain’s GABA levels.

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of ellagic acid on both maximal electroshock and pentylenetetrazole models of acute seizures in mice.

Ellagic acid was administered at the doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg in the two models of seizures.

The results showed that ellagic acid was effective at the lowest dose in the maximal electroshock-induced seizure in mice and the duration of hind limb tonic extension (HLTE) was significantly shorter in this group than in the untreated convulsive group. In the pentylenetetrazole convulsion model, ellagic acid significantly increased the latency to convulsion and Straub tail response. The latencies with ellagic acid were longer in groups treated with ellagic acid 25 mg/kg than with ellagic acid 50 and 100 mg/kg.

In conclusion, it seems that ellagic acid has anticonvulsant effects in electroshock and pentylenetetrazole models of convulsion but its effects are attenuated or eliminated at higher doses.