Experimental Evaluation of the Anticonvulsant Effect of Clove Oil Compared with Sodium Valproate in the Maximal Electroshock Model in Mice.

Kandula Chaitanya; Sajja Suguna; Bhuvaneshwari G; Edavaluru Shravya

doi:10.51168/tdaeh637

Authors

Dr. Kandula Chaitanya Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Gandhi Medical College, Secunderabad, Telangana, India.
Dr. Sajja Suguna Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Khammam, Telangana, India.
Dr. Bhuvaneshwari .G Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Nalgonda, Telangana
Dr. Edavaluru Shravya Intern, Kamineni Academy of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, LB Nagar, Telangana, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/tdaeh637

Keywords:

Clove oil, eugenol, anticonvulsant, sodium valproate, maximal electroshock, mice, hind-limb tonic extension

Abstract

Background

Epilepsy remains a major neurological disorder, and a substantial proportion of patients continue to experience seizures despite available antiseizure therapy. Clove essential oil contains eugenol and other bioactive constituents that may influence neuronal excitability, supporting investigation of its potential anticonvulsant activity.

Objective

To evaluate the anticonvulsant activity of clove oil in mice and compare its effects with sodium valproate using the maximal electroshock (MES) model.

Methods

This experimental comparative study included 18 three-month-old male albino mice weighing approximately 30 g. Animals were allocated into three groups of six and received normal saline 5 mL/kg, sodium valproate 200 mg/kg, or clove oil 0.1 mL/kg intraperitoneally 30 minutes before MES. Electroshock was delivered through transauricular electrodes at 12 mA and 50 Hz for 0.2 seconds. Seizure phases, hind-limb tonic extension (HLTE), abolition of HLTE, and percentage protection were assessed.

Results

Significant differences were observed during the tonic extension phase for control versus sodium valproate (P=.0001), control versus clove oil (P=.0001), and sodium valproate versus clove oil (P=.0023). Stupor duration also differed significantly across all pairwise comparisons (P=.046, P=.0006, and P=.0048, respectively). HLTE was abolished in 0/6 control mice, 3/6 sodium-valproate mice, and 4/6 clove-oil mice, corresponding to 0%, 50.0%, and 66.7% protection, respectively. Baseline HLTE measures were comparable among groups (P=.91), whereas post-treatment values differed significantly (P=.03), with values of 2.01±1.29, 2.16±1.06, and 0.51±0.50 in the control, sodium-valproate, and clove-oil groups, respectively.

Conclusion

Clove oil demonstrated anticonvulsant activity in the MES model, with greater numerical protection against HLTE than sodium valproate. However, the small sample size and absence of inferential comparison of protection proportions preclude conclusions regarding therapeutic superiority.

Recommendations

Further dose-response, toxicity, pharmacokinetic, and mechanistic studies using larger samples and additional seizure models are warranted before clinical translation.

Author Biographies

Dr. Kandula Chaitanya, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Gandhi Medical College, Secunderabad, Telangana, India.

is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Gandhi Medical College, Secunderabad, Telangana, India. She is involved in pharmacology teaching, academic activities, and clinical research. Her academic interests include rational use of medicines, clinical pharmacology, drug safety, and evidence-based therapeutics.
Dr. Sajja Suguna, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Khammam, Telangana, India.

is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Khammam, Telangana, India. She is engaged in medical education, pharmacology research, and academic mentoring. Her areas of professional interest include clinical pharmacology, pharmacovigilance, rational prescribing, and evidence-based use of medicines. ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8874-3076
Dr. Bhuvaneshwari .G, Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Nalgonda, Telangana

is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Nalgonda, Telangana, India. She is involved in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, academic supervision, and research in pharmacology. Her professional interests include clinical pharmacology, therapeutics, medication safety, and research methodology.
Dr. Edavaluru Shravya, Intern, Kamineni Academy of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, LB Nagar, Telangana, India

is an Intern at Kamineni Academy of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, LB Nagar, Telangana, India. She has an academic interest in clinical research, pharmacology, rational drug use, and evidence-based medicine. Her involvement in research provides experience in literature review, data collection, scientific interpretation, and medical manuscript preparation.

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