Anticonvulsant effect of coriander sativum L. seed Extracts in Mice

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Arch. Irn. Med. 3, 3, 182-184.
Anticonvulsant Effects of Coriandrum Sativum L.
Seed Extracts in Mice
Hossein Hosseinzadeh PharmD PhD?, Mohammad Madanifard PharmD
Faculty of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
• Abstract
Background-Coriander (vernacular Geshniz) seeds have been traditionally used in Iranian medicine
for their carminative, diuretic and anticonvulsant effects.
Objective-The anticonvulsant effects of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Coriandrum sativum
seeds were studied in mice in order to evaluate the folkloric use of this plant.
Methods-Two anticonvulsant evaluation tests, namely the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and the maximal
electroshock tests, were used for assessing antiseizure effects.
Results-In the pentylenetetrazole test, the aqueous and ethanolic extracts prolonged the onset of
clonic convulsions and the anticonvulsant activity of high dose extracts (5 mg/kg) were similar to that of
phenobarbital at a dose of 20 mg/kg in the PTZ test. Both extracts in high doses decreased the duration of
tonic seizures and showed a statistically significant anticonvulsant activity in the maximal electroshock
test.
Conclusion-Results indicate that the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of C. sativum seeds may have a
beneficial effect in petit mal and grand mal seizures.
Keywords  Coriandrum sativum  coriander  anticonvulsant activity 
medicinal plants  pentylenetetrazole test
Introduction
Coriandrum sativum, which is called Geshniz in Iran, has been reported to have
several pharmacological effects such as antifertility1, antihyperglycemic2,3,
antihyperlipidemic4,5,6, antioxidant4, antiprolife-rative7 and hypotensive activities8.
Chemical studies on C. sativum have shown the presence of constituents such as
quercetin 3-glucoronide9 linalool, camphor, geranyl acetate, geraniol10 and
coumarins11.
This plant is furthermore, believed to have carminative, diuretic and anticonvulsant12
effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the anticonvulsant effect of
coriandrum seed extracts on the maximal electric seizures and pentylenetetrazole
tests.
Material and Methods
Animals

Male and female albino mice weighing 25-30 g were obtained from a random-bred
colony of mice which were maintained on a special diet (Khorassan Javane Co.,
Mashhad, Iran) in the animal house of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. The
animals were housed in colony rooms with 12/12 h light/dark cycle at 21 ± 2° C and
had free access to food and water.
Plant material
Seeds were collected from an area near the city of Abadan (southern Iran) in May
1998, dried in the shadow, and subsequently grounded. C. sativum L. was properly
identified by Ferdowsi University (MS Safavy) and voucher samples were preserved
for reference in the herbarium of Ferdowsi Herbarium, Mashhad, Iran (1872).
Preparation of extracts
A decoction extract was prepared to comply with the form usually used in folk
medicine. Since there is possibility of decomposition of the active components in hot
water, a maceration extract was also prepared. In the decoction method, one liter of
hot water was added to the seeds (100 g), boiled for 15 minutes, and then filtered
through cloth. The extract was then concentrated under reduced pressure to the
desired volume (yield: 8.33%). In the maceration method, powdered seeds (200 g)
were macerated in 500 ml ethanol (70%, v/v) for three days. This mixture was filtered
and concentrated under reduced pressure at 50° C (yield: 4.5%) and then suspended
by propylene glycol. In the preliminary experiment, propylene glycol (used for
suspension of the ethanolic extract) did not show any anticonvulsant effect in low
doses.
Anticonvulsant activity:
Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) seizure test
The aqueous and ethanolic extracts as well as phenobarbital were all injected
intraperitoneally (i.p) 30, 40 and 45 minutes before administration of
pentylenetetrazole (i.p., 90 mg/kg). The time taken before onset of clonic convulsions
and percentage mortality was also recorded.
Maximal electroshock test
An alternating current stimulus of 50 Hz and 150 mA through bicorneal electrodes
was delivered for 0.2 s to the experimental animals. A drop of 0.9% saline solution
was poured into each eye prior to placing the electrodes. Duration of tonic convulsion
(a tonic extension of the hind-limb) and percentage of mortality were recorded.
Maximum tolerated dose
Different doses of the extracts were injected intraperitoneally into the separated
groups of four. After 24 hours, the highest dose that failed to induce any mortality
was considered as the maximum tolerated dose.
Acute toxicity

Different doses of extracts were injected intraperitoneally into the separated groups of
six mice. The number of deaths was counted at 48 hours after treatment and the LD50
values were calculated by the logit method.
Statistical analysis
Data were expressed as mean values ± SEM and tested with variance analysis
followed by the multiple comparison test of Tukey-Kramer.
Results
The maximum non-fatal dose of the decoction and maceration extracts was 0.5 g/kg
and 5 g/kg, and the LD50 values of the decoction and maceration extracts were 0.78
g/kg and 8.11 g/kg, respectively.
Intraperitoneal injection of both extracts increased the latency of the convulsions
induced by PTZ according to dose, but failed to produce complete protection against
mortality. The anticonvulsant activities of high dose extracts were similar to that of
phenobarbital at a dose of 20 mg/kg in the PTZ test (Table 1).
Table 1. Effect of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Coriandrum sativum seeds on the
onset of seizure of pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsion and death rate in mice.
In the maximal electroshock seizures, the aqueous extracts of seeds (at a dose of 0.5
g/kg) and the ethanolic extract (at doses of 3.5 and 5 g/kg) decreased the duration of
tonic seizures by 22.30%, 30.43% and 36.96%, respectively (Table 2).

Table 2. Effect of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of C. sativum seeds on the onset and
inhibition of seizure induced by maximal electroshock in mice.
Discussion
The present results indicate that the aqueous and ethanolic seed extracts of C. sativum
have anticonvulsant activity in the PTZ and maximal electroshock tests. In respect to
the LD50 values, the aqueous extract was more toxic than the ethanolic extract. The
reason for this higher toxicity is not clear and needs further investigation.
Compared with a toxicity classification13 , the ethanolic and aqueous extracts were
mildly and moderately toxic, respectively. The aqueous leaf extract and ethanolic seed
extract increased the latency of convulsion induced by PTZ by about 3-5 minutes,
which was comparable to phenobarbital. Agents affecting on the PTZ test can inhibit
petit-mal seizure14. Thus C. sativum seed extracts may have activity on this kind of
seizure. Both aqueous and ethanolic extracts showed activity against maximal
electroshock seizures. This implies that the extracts have efficacy in grand mal
seizure14.
The mechanism of the anticonvulsant effect of C. sativum is not clear. Anticonvulsant
activity has been reported for cumarin compounds15, isolated from C. sativum11.
Further investigation is required in order to clarify the anticonvulsant mechanism of
this plant. It is concluded that the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of C. sativum may
show anticonvulsant activity against petit mal as well as grand mal seizures.
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