Central Nervous System Activity of Phenol‑Rich Fraction of Piper sylvaticum Roots

Obective: Piper sylvaticum Roxb. is an important folk medicine in Indian Traditional System of Medicine widely used by different tribes in many countries. In the present study, the anticonvulsant activity of extract/fractions of Piper sylvaticum (PS) roots was investigated. Materials and Methods: 70% ethanolic extract of PS roots was successively extracted using hexane and ethyl acetate to prepare various fractions. Total phenol content was found at maximum 324.65 mg/gallic acid equivalent/g in ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) (phenol‑rich fraction [PRF]). High‑performance thin‑layer chromatography fingerprinting profiling of PS roots was performed. The anticonvulsant properties of the EAF of roots of PS were examined by maximal electroshock method as compared to standard phenytoin (25 mg/kg body weight). Result: It was found that EAF shows potent anticonvulsant activity at different dose levels against maximum electroshock seizure‑induced convulsions in Swiss albino mice. Conclusion: From the observation, it can be concluded that the current study has expressed that the phenol‑rich EAF of the ethanolic extract of the roots of PS has shown the dose‑dependent anticonvulsant effect in mice. The anticonvulsant potential may be due to the presence of phenolic compounds in PRF. The outcomes suggested a high potential for application of EAF of PS root as an anticonvulsant agent.