Ameliorative effect of Curcumin on seizure severity, depression like behavior, learning and memory deficit in post-pentylenetetrazole-kindled mice

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder and generally associated with certain psychiatric comorbidities. Among several comorbidities depressive behavior and cognitive impairment has been reported to be most debilitating comorbidity associated with epilepsy. This study was envisaged to evaluate the ameliorative effect of Curcumin on depression like behavior and cognitive impairment observed in pentylenetetrazole kindled animals. Male Swiss Albino mice were kindled with subconvulsive dose of pentylenetetrazole (35 mg/kg, i.p.). Successfully kindled animals were used in the study to observe the effect of different treatments. Treatment groups received phenytoin (30 mg/kg) and Curcumin (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) for 15 days. The animals were challenged with pentylenetetrazole (35 mg/kg, i.p.) on day 5, 10 and 15 and seizure severity score, immobility period, number of mistakes and step down latency were recorded. On 15th day, all the animals were sacrificed after behavioral evaluations and their brain was isolated and homogenized to estimate brain norepinephrine, serotonin, total nitrite level and acetylcholinesterase activity. Phenytoin treatment significantly improved the depressive like behavior along with its anticonvulsant effect, however was unable to improve memory impairment. Curcumin significantly attenuated seizure severity, depression like behavior and memory impairment in kindled animals, in dose dependent manner. These results were supported by the biochemical modulation of brain monoamine, nitrosative stress level and acetylcholinesterase activity. Thus present study concluded that Curcumin has the ameliorative effect on seizure severity, depression like behavior and memory impairment in pentylenetetrazole kindled mice, possibly via central monoaminergic modulation and inhibitory effect on nitrosative stress and acetylcholinesterase activity.