Modulation of pentylenetetrazole-induced kindling and oxidative stress by curcumin in mice.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder affecting 1% population worldwide. A number of experimental studies have reported anticonvulsant, neuroprotective and antioxidant activity of certain natural products like curcumin, an active ingredient of turmeric. The present study was designed to explore the effect of acute administration of curcumin at doses 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, orally (p.o.) pentylenetetrazole-induced kindling in mice. Further two oxidative stress markers viz., malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione were estimated in brain tissues of rodents. Curcumin (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) dose dependently suppressed the progression of kindling in mice. In addition, the increased levels of MDA and glutathione were also reduced by curcumin in kindled animals. These results suggest that curcumin appears to possess protective activity against kindling in mice.