Abstract:

Aim: Thymoquinone (TQ) is derived from Nigella Sativa (NS) which is a traditional medicinal plant used as a spice, and medication in traditional medicine. This study aims to investigate the chronic effects of TQ, which has been shown anticancer, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects, on experimental penicillin-induced epilepsy models in rats. Methods: Forty-nine adult male Wistar rats were used in this study. The rats were divided into 7 groups as; sham (S), control (penicillin, CONT), diazepam (DZM), 10 mg/kg TQ (TQ10), 50 mg/kg TQ (TQ50), 10 mg/kg TQ+DZM (TQ10+DZM) and 50 mg/kg TQ+DZM (TQ50+DZM). TQ was administered intraperitoneally for 21 days. Epileptiform activity (EA) was initiated by intracortical administration of penicillin. Electrocorticographic (ECoG) data obtained from the recordings were analyzed. The latency, frequency, and amplitude of EA waves were analyzed statistically. Results: There was no EA in the sham group. However, it was observed that the first spike-wave latency increased significantly in TQ10 and TQ50 groups compared to the CONT group. Except for some time periods, there was no significant difference between the groups according to spike-wave frequency, and spike-wave amplitude. Conclusion: It was observed that the application of chronic thymoquinone on the experimental penicillin-induced EA model in rats did not affect the frequency and amplitude of spike-wave representing epileptic seizures. However, TQ was found to prolong the latency of the first EA.

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