Abstract
The lithium-pilocarpine (Li-Pc) model of status epilepticus (SE) is most convenient and is frequently used for pathophysiological and management strategies in search of new, safe, and effective therapeutic agents including the natural remedies for SE. Oral administration of cinnamon (CIN) and curcumin (CUR) can reduce neuroinflammation which is a common feature of neurodegenerative disorders. Although many studies on CUR effects on SE has been undertaken, to our best knowledge no study has been conducted on studying the effect of CIN on SE. The present study explores the neuroprotective effects of natural food products CUR and CIN on Li-Pc induced SE in rats. This study may encourage the nurses to get involved in experimental research to understand cognitive dysfunctions and brain oxidative stress which have a correlative perspective with SE patients with whom they often interact during their treatments and handling. SE was induced in experimental rats using lithium-pilocarpine model. Besides control groups, the animals were also grouped as treatment groups which received CIN and CUR pre-treatment before induction of SE. Besides severity of the seizures, cognitive dysfunctions, oxidative stress parameters were also estimated in the fore-brain tissue of all group of animals. Treatment with CIN and CUR significantly ameliorated the frequency and severity of epileptic seizures in a dose-dependent manner. The cognitive dysfunctions as well as the oxidative stress indices (enzymatic as well as non-enzymatic) were ameliorated significantly and dose-dependently by CIN and CUR pre-treatment in the order CUR < CIN in all parameters. Possible therapeutic application of CIN and CUR as antiepileptic and as antioxidant for the treatment of SE has a great potential and warrants further studies.