Hydroalcoholic extract of Emblica officinalis Gaertn. affords protection against PTZ-induced seizures, oxidative stress and cognitive impairment in rats.

The cognitive impairment seen in epileptics may be a consequence of either the underlying epileptogenic process alone or it could manifest on account of the use of antiepileptic drugs that cause cognitive impairment as an adverse effect or both. Thus, there is a need for drugs that can suppress epileptogenesis without contributing to or, if possible, by acting to prevent the development of cognitive impairment. Emblica officinalis, an Indian medicinal plant, has marked antioxidant property. The effect of seven days pretreatment of 300, 500 and 700 mg/kg doses of hydroalcoholic extract of E. officinalis (HAEEO) administered intraperitoneally to rats was evaluated on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced seizures, cognitive deficit and oxidative stress markers viz malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione. The 500 and 700 mg/kg ip doses of HAEEO completely abolished the generalized tonic seizures and also improved the retention latency in passive avoidance task. Further, HAEEO dose-dependently ameliorated the oxidative stress induced by PTZ. These findings suggest the potential of HAEEO to be used as an adjuvant to treatment with antiepileptic drugs.