SOME NEUROPHARMACOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AN ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF MAPROUNEA-AFRICANA IN RODENTS

The ethanolic extract of the leaves of Maprounea africana (Euphorbiace ae), a medicinal plant in the Congolese traditional medicine, induced hypothermia and reduced the latency to the loss of the righting reflex and prolonged the sleeping time induced by pentobarbital in mice. It also significantly delayed the onset of clonic convulsions induced by pentylenetetrazole in mice. However, the extract did not affect either generalized convulsions induced by maximal electroshock and picrotoxi n or limbic status epilepticus produced by pilocarpine and kainic acid .