Effects of Pretreatment with Satureja Bachtiarica Essential Oil in Preventing Seizure in Pentylenetetrazol-Kindled Mice

Epilepsy is a group of chronic neurological disorders characterized by seizures. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of pretreatment with Satureja bachtiarica essential oil in preventing epilepsy.

In this experimental study, 50 mice were randomly assigned to five groups of 10 each. The control group received normal saline plus tween80 and, 30 min later, PTZ. Groups 2 and 3 were treated with S. bachtiarica essential oil at 50 and 100 mg/kg and 30 min later received PTZ, respectively. Group 4 received diazepam and 30 min later received PTZ. Group 5 received flumazenil and 30 min later received PTZ. After the last injection of PTZ, the time of seizure onset, seizure severity and score, the completion time of each seizure (attack episode), and mortality rate in different groups were recorded and compared.

The administration of S. bachtiarica essential oil at 50 and 100 mg/kg to PTZ-treated mice caused significant increase in latency to first seizure and survival, and significant decrease in the frequency of the head and upper limbs seizure, total body seizures, tonic seizures, and jumping. S. bachtiarica essential oil at 100 mg/kg caused a significant decrease in the head ticks frequency. The administration of flumazenil significantly inhibited S. bachtiarica essential oil induced effects and increased the head and upper limbs seizures, tonic seizures, and jumping.

The present study demonstrated that S. bachtiarica essential oil can prevent PTZ-induced seizure and these findings authenticate the traditional claims about use of Satureja bachtiarica in treatment of epilepsy.