Date of Award

11-2023

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MPhil in Biological and Biomedical Sciences

First Advisor

Dr Fazal Arain

Second Advisor

Dr Hasan Salman Siddiqi

Third Advisor

Dr Saara Ahmad Mudassir

Department

Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Abstract

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder and is characterized by unprovoked seizures. Notably, about 30% of patients exhibit resistance to standard treatments. The most common drug-resistant form of epilepsy is Temporal Lobe Epilepsy with Hippocampal Sclerosis (TLE-HS), which also impacts patients' physical, mental, and psychological well-being. Administration of the extract of the herb Carum Carvi has been shown to have anti-convulsant, anti-depressant, and anxiolytic properties. Hypothesis: Carum Carvi extract can alleviate symptoms of depression and memory loss in an animal model of TLE-HS. Objectives: Objective 1: To study the effects of Carum Carvi on depression in an animal model of TLE-HS. Objective 2: To study the effects of Carum Carvi on memory loss in an animal model of TLE-HS. Objective 3: To quantify any changes in the structure of hippocampus due to treatment of Carum Carvi. Material and methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups: healthy controls, TLE-HS model rats treated with water (diseased control), and TLEHS model rats treated with Carum Carvi. Lithium-Pilocarpine treatment was conducted to develop TLE-HS in rats. Carum Carvi extract 800mg/kg was orally administered to Herbal treated, and water was orally administered to diseased and control rats for the next six weeks. After six weeks, the Forced Swim Test and Novel Object Recognition Test were conducted to test for symptoms of depression or memory loss, respectively. Results and Discussion: Six weeks after administration of Carum Carvi extract, Forced Swim Test showed significant improvements in depression among TLE-HS diseased rats. However, the Novel Object Recognition Test showed that Carum Carvi extract treatment results in some, not statistically significant, improvement in memory loss of TLE-HS diseased rats. Depression is significant cause of reduction in quality of life in patients suffering from TLE-HS. Our study has shown that Carum Carvi extract can serve as an efficient treatment option for depression in TLE-HS patients. Further, clinical-based studies need to be conducted to ensure the efficacy of Carum Carvi extract. Mechanism of action of Carum Carvi extract also needs to be investigated to better understand the anti-depression properties of Carum Carvi extract.

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1

Last Page

78

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