Objectives Epilepsy is a neurological disorder resulting from excessive electrical discharge in the brain. Bombax costatum (BC) is an herb being used in African traditional medicine for the treatment of seizures. This study evaluated the possible anti-convulsant potential of stem bark ethanolic extract of BC on PTZ-induced kindling in rats. Methods Thirty-five Wistar rats were grouped into five (n = 7) and received normal saline, 35 mg/kg of PTZ, 5 mg/kg diazepam followed by 35 mg/kg PTZ after 30 min and BC stem back ethanolic extract at 125 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg followed by 35 mg/kg of PTZ intraperitoneally after 30 min. BC was administered orally daily while normal saline and PTZ were given intraperitoneally every other day for 26 days. Seizure activity was evaluated using the Racine scale, cognitive abilities through modified elevated plus maze and anxiety through forced swimming test. Further, the levels of GABA and oxidative stress biomarkers were also evaluated from the rat's brain homogenate. Results Pretreatment with BC significantly reduced (p < .05) the seizure score and increased GABA level in BC treated rats when compared to PTZ alone treated rats. The first transfer latency of PTZ alone treated rats was significantly increased (p < .05) relative to the control rats and rats pretreated with diazepam and BC extract. Pretreatment with BC extract at 250 mg/kg was shown to significantly increase (p < .05) the activities of catalase, reduced glutathione, and superoxide dismutase compared to the PTZ alone treated rats. Conclusions Conclusively, BC was found to prevent seizure, avert neurodegeneration, and enhance cognition in PTZ-treated rats by regulating GABA level and enhancing antioxidant activity. Therefore, BC could be explored further for possible development of antiseizure agents.

Background: Ethanol intake can cause oxidative stress, tissue inflammation, and renal damage by producing free radicals. Flavonoids are phenolic chemicals found in a range of fruits, vegetables, tea, and wine. More significantly, many flavonoids are active constituents in traditional Chinese herbal medicines, which have no adverse effects in general. However, there is a paucity of research on the therapeutic effectiveness of Citrullus lanatus seed flavonoids against renal damage. Method: The rats were split into six groups: normal, ethanol (10 ml/kg of 50% ethanol), flavonoids (100 mg/kg/day), ethanol plus low and high flavonoid dosages (ET + 100 and 200 mg/kg FCL), and ethanol plus Silymarin (ET + 100 mg/kg SLY). The levels of serum urea, creatinine, uric acid, and nitrite oxide (NO) were measured, as were oxidative stress markers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GPx), malondialdehyde (MDA), and inflammatory markers such as tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β). Then, the kidney organ was harvested for histological study. Results: Citrullus lanatus seed flavonoids (FCL) substantially (p < 0.05) reduced ethanol-induced increases in creatinine, urea, and uric acid. When rats administered FCL were compared to untreated ethanol rats, there was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in CAT, SOD, and GPx levels, as well as decreased MDA. FCL significantly reduced IL-1β and TNF-α levels in ethanol-treated rats. A histological examination significantly corroborated the biochemical assay result. Conclusions: The findings of this study show that the flavonoid-rich fraction of Citrullus lanatus seed has therapeutic potential against ethanol-induced kidney injury by lowering the rise in renal function, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress. As a result, FCL may work as a plant-based natural therapy to minimise kidney damage. As a result, in the preclinical context, FCL has the potential to minimise organ toxicity for oral therapeutic purposes.

Ethanol consumption can generate free radicals and cause oxidative stress, tissue inflammation, and kidney impairment. It has long been known that saponins from natural sources have numerous therapeutic benefits in African herbal and traditional medicine. However, the study aimed to the study aimed to evaluate the ameliorative effect of saponin-rich extract of Citrullus lanatus seed against ethanol-induced kidney injury. Rats were divided into six groups: a normal control, an ethanol control (10 ml/kg of 50