Phytochemical and Anticonvulsant Screening of the Ethanolic Flower Extracts of Newbouldia laevis (Bignoniaceae) in Mice

The anticonvulsant effects of the ethanolic flower extract of Newbouldia leavis (Bignoniaceae) were studied in mice. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of ethanolic flower extract revealed the presence of cardiac and saponins glycosides, flavonoids, steroids and tannins. The ethanolic flower extract had an intraperitoneal (i.p.) LD sub(50) of 1264.9 mg kg super(-1) body weight in mice. Anticonvulsant studies were carried out on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced and 4-amino pyridine (4-AP)-induced seizures in mice. The results showed that the extract under study possesses slight dose-dependent anticonvulsant activities between 40-60% (50-200 mg kg super(-1) body weight) protection against PTZ-induced convulsion; and also a dose-dependent delay on the onset of convulsion was observed in 4-AP-induced convulsion in mice ranging from 8.0 plus or minus 0.45 to 11.2 plus or minus 1.31 min (50-200 mg kg super(-1) body weight). The data obtained correlate to the traditional claim of this plant in the treatment of convulsion due to petit mal seizure.