Anticonvulsant Activity of Acute and Chronic Treatment with a-Asarone from Acorus gramineus in Seizure Models

For centuries, extracts of Acorus gramineus have been used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment, management, and/or control of human ailments, including central nervous system disorders such as convulsions and epilepsy. In the present study, we investigated the anticonvulsant activity of chronic treatment with the plant's major essential oil component (a-asarone, 50-200 mg/kg, per os (p.o.)) against maximal electroshock seizure (MES), pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures in mice, lithium-pilocarpine (LI-PILO)-induced status epilepticus (SE), and spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRSs) in rats and determined whether a single acute administration of a-asarone at various doses could produce anticonvulsant activity. As the standard antiepileptic drugs used, chronically administered a-asarone (50-200 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly delayed (p