Neurobehavioral and Neuroprotective Effects of the Polysaccharide Extract from Libidibia ferrea Barks in PTZ-Induced Seizures: Involvement of the GABAergic System

This study aimed to investigate neurobehavioral, neurochemical, and histopathological effects of the polysaccharide extract from the barks of Libidibia ferrea (EP-Lf) on the central nervous system in mice. Animals were treated via intraperitoneal (i.p.) with 0.9% saline, EP-Lf (1, 3, 9, or 27 mg/kg), diazepam (1 mg/kg, i.p.), or imipramine (10 mg/kg, i.p) 30 minutes before seizure induction with pentylenetetrazole (PTZ - 85 mg/kg, i.p.) EP-Lf at 27 mg/kg increased seizure latency (112.9 ± 6.87 vs. saline: 61.40 ± 3.55) and death latency (941.6 ± 74.20 vs. saline: 265.5 ± 42.54) and reduced pycnotic nuclei in the hippocampus. The use of flumazenil reversed seizures (76.60 ± 5.70) and death (340.7 ± 30.92) latencies. Moreover, EP-Lf elicited antioxidant effect by the increase in reduced glutathione (GSH) in prefrontal cortex [H = 38.38; p < 0.0001; k = 6], hippocampus [F (5, 52)=15.88; p<0.0001], and corpus striatum [F (5, 52)=25.19; p<0.0001]; and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) in prefrontal cortex at 9 and 27 mg/kg [H = 35.51; p < 0.0001; k = 6]; hippocampus [F (5, 54)=14.64; p<0.0001] and corpus striatum [H = 35.51; p < 0.0001; k = 6]. In conclusion, EP-Lf has a central inhibitory effect, conferring neuroprotection on mice’s PTZ-induced seizures, suggesting a GABAergic effect.