Abstract
Turmeric, obtained from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa, is used in South Asia as a traditional medicine for the treatment of epilepsy. To
date, in vivo studies on the anticonvulsant activity of turmeric have focused on its principal
curcuminoid, curcumin. However, poor absorption and rapid metabolism have limited
the therapeutic application of curcumin in humans. To explore the therapeutic potential
of turmeric for epilepsy further, we analyzed its anticonvulsant activity in a larval
zebrafish seizure assay. Initial experiments revealed that the anticonvulsant activity
of turmeric in zebrafish larvae cannot be explained solely by the effects of curcumin.
Zebrafish bioassay-guided fractionation of turmeric identified bisabolene sesquiterpenoids
as additional anticonvulsants that inhibit PTZ-induced seizures in both zebrafish
and mice. Here, we present the first report of the anticonvulsant properties of bisabolene
sesquiterpenoids and provide evidence which warrants further investigation toward
the mechanistic understanding of their neuromodulatory activity.
Highlights
- Anticonvulsant activity of sesquiterpenoids from turmeric oil in zebrafish model.
- Confirmation of the positive activity of bisabolene sesquiterpenoids in rodent model.
- Ar-turmerone and α,β-turmerone as potential AED candidates to be further investigated.
Abbreviations:
AEDs (antiepileptic drugs), DAD (diode array detection), DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide), dpf (days post-fertilization), ddH2O (double-distilled water), ESI-MS (electrospray ionization mass spectrometry), i.v. (intravenous), i.p. (intraperitoneal), LC–MS (liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy), MES (maximal electroshock seizure), MTC (maximum tolerated concentration), PEG (polyethylene glycol), p.o. (“per os”, orally), PTZ (pentylenetetrazole), RP-HPLC (reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography), s.c. (subcutaneous), TLE (temporal lobe epilepsy)Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
February 21,
2012
Received in revised form:
February 16,
2012
Received:
December 20,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
