Bryophyllum Pinnatum (Lam.) Oken Protects Against Oxidative Damage and Cytokine-Mediated Neuroinflammation In Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Epilepsy In Male and Female Rats

Abstract

Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterised by unprovoked seizures arising from abnormal neuronal firing. This disorder prompts interest in medicinal plants, including Bryophyllum pinnatum, a Crassulaceae family, which is traditionally used for various therapeutic purposes. This study examined the neuroprotective effect of the ethyl acetate extract of B. pinnatum (BPE) on oxidative and inflammatory markers in brain regions, including the cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus, in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced epilepsy. Rats of both genders were randomly assigned to six groups per gender. PTZ groups were intraperitoneally injected with 40 mg/kg b.wt. PTZ on alternate days for 29 days, whereas treatment groups received 250 mg/kg BPE or 5 mg/kg b.wt. diazepam (DZP) daily. PTZ increased MDA levels by 2 - 4-fold across the brain regions, whereas BPE reduced hippocampal MDA by approximately 67% and 40% in the cortical region of PTZtreated rats. BPE also attenuated PTZ-associated oxidative alterations, with XO activity in PTZ+BPE rats ranging from 24.2-32.2 nmol/min/mL across the investigated regions and genders, compared with 25.6-34.0 nmol/min/mL in PTZ rats. GPx activity in BPE-treated groups ranged from 5.3 to 6.3 nmol/mg protein. BPE enhanced GSH and antioxidant enzyme activities, decreased NO and pro-inflammatory markers, and elevated IL-10 and Nrf-2 levels, while preserving neuronal histoarchitecture. These findings demonstrate the neuroprotective potential of BPE against oxidative and inflammatory alterations in PTZ-induced epilepsy across both genders.