U.S. patent application number 16/261330 was filed with the patent office on 2020-04-02 for extract of vicia faba beans.
The applicant listed for this patent is KING SAUD UNIVERSITY. Invention is credited to ALI AHMED MUSTAFA ALI, MUTASIM IBRAHIM KHALIL, MUSTAFA ABDALLA MOHAMED SALIH.
Application Number | 20200101125 16/261330 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000003840041 |
Filed Date | 2020-04-02 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200101125 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KHALIL; MUTASIM IBRAHIM ; et
al. |
April 2, 2020 |
EXTRACT OF VICIA FABA BEANS
Abstract
The extract of Vicia faba beans is prepared by soaking beans in
distilled water overnight and then boiling in a water bath to
reduce the volume of aqueous extract, which is then homogenized and
filtered. The filtrate is concentrated to a smaller volume,
lyophilized, and powdered. The lyophilized powder is extracted with
hexane to remove oils and lipids. The oil-free lyophilized powder
is dissolved in ethanol solvent and extracted for eight hours under
reflux, and filtered. The volume of ethanol is reduced by a rotary
evaporator, and a first off-white precipitate (sample A-1) is
collected, washed with ethanol, and dried at 80.degree. C. Mass
spectrometry shows a molecular weight of 200.16447 g mol.sup.-1,
and an empirical formula of C.sub.9H.sub.16N.sub.2O.sub.3 is
assigned. Intraperitoneal injection of mice with 50 mg/kg of A-1
twenty minutes prior to injection with strychnine protected the
mice from strychnine-induced convulsions to the same extent as
phenobarbitone (phenobarbital).
Inventors: |
KHALIL; MUTASIM IBRAHIM;
(RIYADH, SA) ; SALIH; MUSTAFA ABDALLA MOHAMED;
(RIYADH, SA) ; ALI; ALI AHMED MUSTAFA; (RIYADH,
SA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
KING SAUD UNIVERSITY |
RIYADH |
|
SA |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000003840041 |
Appl. No.: |
16/261330 |
Filed: |
January 29, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
16145090 |
Sep 27, 2018 |
10300100 |
|
|
16261330 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61K 31/522 20130101;
A61K 31/513 20130101; A61K 31/428 20130101; A61K 31/16 20130101;
A61P 25/08 20180101; A61K 2236/10 20130101; A61K 2236/331 20130101;
A61K 31/167 20130101; A61K 31/047 20130101; A61K 2236/35 20130101;
A61K 2236/333 20130101; A61K 2236/39 20130101; A61K 2236/51
20130101; A61K 31/196 20130101; A61K 36/48 20130101; A61K 31/198
20130101; A61K 2236/53 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A61K 36/48 20060101
A61K036/48; A61P 25/08 20060101 A61P025/08; A61K 31/428 20060101
A61K031/428; A61K 31/513 20060101 A61K031/513; A61K 31/196 20060101
A61K031/196; A61K 31/047 20060101 A61K031/047; A61K 31/16 20060101
A61K031/16; A61K 31/198 20060101 A61K031/198; A61K 31/167 20060101
A61K031/167; A61K 31/522 20060101 A61K031/522 |
Claims
1-8. (canceled)
9. An anticonvulsant compound for use in the treatment of epilepsy
and the avoidance of epileptic seizures, comprising an extract of
Vicia faba beans wherein the extract has been prepared by the
method of: extracting Vicia faba beans in water to obtain an
aqueous extract; lyophilizing the aqueous extract and powdering the
lyophilized aqueous extract to obtain a lyophilized powder;
extracting the lyophilized powder in hexane to remove lipids and
obtain an oil-free lyophilized powder; extracting the oil-free
lyophilized powder in ethanol solvent under reflux and filtering
off the ethanol solvent; removing the ethanol solvent by rotary
evaporator to leave a precipitate; washing the precipitate in
ethanol; and drying the precipitate at 80.degree. C. wherein the
precipitate has a molar mass of 200.16447 g mol.sup.-1 and an
empirical formula of C.sub.9H.sub.16N.sub.2O.sub.3, wherein the
anticonvulsant extract comprises an anticonvulsant compound having
a formula selected from the group consisting of: ##STR00007## and
pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
10-19. (canceled)
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a division of application Ser. No.
16/145,090, filed Sep. 27, 2018, now pending.
BACKGROUND
1. Field
[0002] The disclosure of the present patent application relates to
anticonvulsant compounds of potential use in the treatment of
epilepsy or avoidance of epileptic seizures, and particularly to an
extract of Vicia faba beans, also known as broad beans, fava beans,
or faba beans, and method of extracting the beans to obtain an
anticonvulsant.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0003] The plant Vicia faba, also known as the broad bean, faba
bean, fava bean, etc., is an ancient flowering plant long
cultivated in and native to the Mediterranean region and
southwestern Asia. It is a legume belonging to the Fabaceae bean
family, having a broad, leathery pod and green fruit that mature to
a blackish-brown color. Vicia faba can grow in cold and hot
countries, withstanding harsh and cold climates, in soils with high
salinity and a wide range of pH (4.5-8.3), as well as in clay
soils.
[0004] Broad bean plants are highly susceptible to early summer
infestations that can cause discoloration of pods, resulting in
reduction of their economic value. These plants also are prone to
bacterial and fungal diseases.
[0005] Several varieties of broad bean have been cultivated, and
many modern varieties were developed for food use. Vicia faba is
used for food for both humans and domestic animals, providing an
important source of protein and fatty acids. Along with lentils,
peas and chickpeas, Vicia faba are believed to be an important part
of the eastern Mediterranean diet as early as 6000 BC or earlier,
and still comprise a main dish for meals in the Middle East and the
Nile region of Africa.
[0006] Fava beans are a common, important food in numerous African,
Asian, Latin American, North American, and European countries.
These beans are rich in dietary fiber, protein, phosphorus, copper,
and manganese, and a very good source of folate. An intermediate
value of .alpha.-tocopherol (17 ppm) that has the highest vitamin E
activity was noted for broad beans. Vicia faba beans also contain
antinutritional factors (i.e., substances that, when present in
animal feed or water, tend to reduce the availability of one or
more nutrients) that vary in concentration among the different
varieties of VF. While used extensively as a food source, Vicia
faba have also been documented to provide potential therapeutic
benefits, including neuropharmacological effects.
[0007] Vicia faba beans are rich in tyramine, and also contain the
alkaloids vicine and convicine. These alkaloids can induce
hemolytic anemia in patients deficient in glucose-6-phosphate
dehydrogenase (G6PD). The most frequent clinical manifestations are
neonatal jaundice and acute hemolytic anemia.
[0008] Fava bean seedlings were also used as an initial source of
L-DOPA (precursor to dopamine) to increase dopamine (DA)
concentration in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Ingestion of
fava bean produces a significant increase in plasma L-DOPA, and
urinary excretion of sodium and DA. Accordingly, fava beans may be
helpful in treating conditions such as heart failure, liver
cirrhosis, renal failure, and hypertension.
[0009] Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by sudden,
recurrent episodes of sensory disturbance, loss of consciousness,
or convulsions (often referred to as seizures) associated with
abnormal electrical activity in the brain. At least some
epidemiological studies have noted a lower incidence of epilepsy in
regions where fava beans are essentially a staple in the diet,
which raises the possibility of one or more compounds in Vicia faba
that may reduce the incidence, duration, or severity of epileptic
seizures, including the convulsions associated therewith.
[0010] Thus, an extract of Vicia faba beans solving the
aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY
[0011] The extract of Vicia faba beans is prepared by soaking beans
in distilled water overnight and then boiling in a water bath to
reduce the volume of aqueous extract, which is then homogenized and
filtered. The filtrate is concentrated to a smaller volume,
lyophilized, and powdered. The lyophilized powder is extracted with
hexane to remove oils and lipids. The oil-free lyophilized powder
is dissolved in ethanol solvent and extracted for eight hours under
reflux and filtered. The volume of ethanol is reduced by a rotary
evaporator, and a first off-white precipitate (sample A-1) is
collected, washed with a little ethanol, and dried at 80.degree. C.
Mass spectrometry shows a molecular weight of 200.16447 g
mol.sup.-1, and an empirical formula of
C.sub.9H.sub.16N.sub.2O.sub.3 is assigned. Intraperitoneal
injection of mice with 50 mg/kg of A-1 twenty minutes prior to
injection with strychnine protected the mice from
strychnine-induced convulsions to the same extent as phenobarbitone
(phenobarbital).
[0012] Further extraction of the remaining ethanol solvent by
column chromatography with a mixture of ammonium hydroxide,
methanol, and ethanol extraction solvents produces a second
off-white precipitate (sample A-2), which delays the onset of
strychnine-induced convulsions, but is not as effective as sample
A-1. Further isolation of compounds from the mixture of extraction
solvents by GC-MS or HPLC-MS were performed, but did not include
any further anticonvulsants of interest.
[0013] These and other features of the present disclosure will
become readily apparent upon further review of the following
specification and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a histogram of fatty acids (%) extracted from a
Vicia faba cultivar from Sudan.
[0015] FIG. 2 is the FTIR spectrum of sample Vicia faba bean
extract A-1.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a mass spectrum of sample Vicia faba bean extract
A-1.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a mass spectrum of sample Vicia faba bean extract
A-2.
[0018] FIGS. 5A and 5B are two parts of the .sup.1H-NMR spectrum of
sample Vicia faba bean extract A-2.
[0019] FIG. 6 is the mass spectrum of the ethanol extraction
components from the Vicia faba cultivar remaining after separation
and removal of the hexane extracts and extracts A-1 and A-2.
[0020] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features
consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] The present work is an outgrowth of prior research conducted
by two of the present inventors reported in M. A. M. Salih and A.
A. Mustafa, "A substance in broad beans (Vicia faba) is protective
against experimentally induced convulsions in mice", Epilepsy &
Behavior, (2008), Vol. 12, pp. 25-29. As reported therein, the
children in the school districts of Khartoum Province, Sudan
experience a lower incidence of epilepsy than children of other
countries or regions of the world. At the same time, Vicia faba
beans (also known as broad beans, faba beans, or fava beans) are a
staple in the diet of the school children of Khartoum, or of the
Sudan generally. Our studies showed that aqueous extracts of Vicia
faba beans, administered orally or in conjunction with an
anticonvulsant (Diazepam), offered some protection from
strychnine-induced convulsions. At the time, it was hypothesized
that this may be due to the presence of a substance in fava beans
intimately related to glycine. The present work attempts to isolate
and identify any active ingredient(s) in fava beans that may
inhibit or reduce convulsions incident to epileptic seizures as a
potential active compound for a pharmaceutical treatment of
epilepsy.
[0022] The extract of Vicia faba beans is prepared by soaking beans
in distilled water overnight and then boiling in a water bath to
reduce the volume of aqueous extract, which is then homogenized and
filtered. The filtrate is concentrated to a smaller volume,
lyophilized, and powdered. The lyophilized powder is extracted with
hexane to remove oils and lipids. The oil-free lyophilized powder
is dissolved in ethanol solvent and extracted for eight hours under
reflux, and filtered. The volume of ethanol is reduced by a rotary
evaporator, and a first off-white precipitate (sample A-1) is
collected, washed with a little ethanol, and dried at 80.degree. C.
Mass spectrometry shows a molecular weight of 200.16447 g
mol.sup.-1, and an empirical formula of
C.sub.9H.sub.16N.sub.2O.sub.3 is assigned. Intraperitoneal
injection of mice with 50 mg/kg of A-1 twenty minutes prior to
injection with strychnine protected the mice from
strychnine-induced convulsions to the same extent as phenobarbitone
(phenobarbital).
[0023] Further extraction of the remaining ethanol solvent by
column chromatography with a mixture of ammonium hydroxide,
methanol, and ethanol extraction solvents produces a second
off-white precipitate (sample A-2), which delays the onset of
strychnine-induced convulsions, but is not as effective as sample
A-1. Further isolation of compounds from the mixture of extraction
solvents by GC-MS or HPLC-MS were performed, but did not include
any further anticonvulsants of interest.
[0024] The extract of Vicia faba beans will be better understood
with reference to the following examples.
EXAMPLE 1
Extraction of Samples For Analysis
[0025] Nine hundred grams of brown broad beans were soaked in 2.0 L
of distilled water overnight, and then boiled in a water bath until
the extract was reduced to 600 mL. The extract was homogenized and
filtered. The filtrate was then concentrated to a volume of 100 mL,
lyophilized, and powdered.
[0026] The lyophilized powder (50 g) was placed into a cellulose
paper cone, and extracted with 600 mL hexane using a soxhlet
extraction apparatus for 8 hours. The solvent was removed using a
rotary vacuum distiller at 50.degree. C., and then the residue was
flushed with nitrogen to blanket the oil before storage (AOAC
method 920.39). The lipid content was calculated from the weight of
the oil (5.65 g), and the results were expressed as the lipid
percentage of the original 900 g of beans--1.25%. See FIG. 1 and
the analysis of fatty acid composition below.
[0027] The oil-free lyophilized powder was then extracted with
ethanol, again using the above-mentioned procedure. The TLC results
indicated a mixture of components.
[0028] Component A-1 was collected by partial precipitation, i.e.,
by filtering the refluxed mixture of oil-free lyophilized powder
and ethanol and by removal of the ethanol solvent by the rotary
evaporator, which left a first off-white precipitate, which was
washed with ethanol and dried at 80.degree. C. The extract sample
A-1 was tested by FTIR and by mass spectrometry, as described
below.
[0029] The remaining ethanol extract removed by the rotary
evaporator and recovered by condensation of the solvent was further
separated by column chromatography separation, where a portion of
the ethanol extract was loaded onto a silica gel column
chromatograph and carefully eluted using a mixture of solvents (5
ml NH.sub.4OH (30%), 100 ml methanol, 900 ml ethanol) as a mobile
phase that was gradually replaced with water. Many fractions (5-10
ml) were collected during the column chromatography, and the purity
of each was tested using TLC (thin-layer chromatography. The TLC of
fractions 10 -13 indicated similar components, which were then
collected. The solvent was driven off with a rotary evaporator, and
the solid was dried at 80.degree. C. A second off-white precipitate
was collected by driving off the solvent from the chromatography
column and designated sample extract A-2, which was tested by mass
spectroscopy and .sup.1H NMR, as described below. All other
fractions were collected in one container, and the components were
evaluated with GC-mass spectroscopy and HPLC, as described
below.
EXAMPLE 2
Analysis of Fatty Acid Composition
[0030] The fatty acids (oils) removed by the initial extraction of
the lyophilized powder in hexane were analyzed as follows. The
fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) composition was determined by
converting the oil to fatty acid methyl esters. 200 .mu.l lithium
methoxide (2M) was added to a mixture of 40 mg of the oil in 1.0 ml
n-hexane, followed by heating in a bath at 50.degree. C. for few
seconds. Then, 200 .mu.l HCl (2N) is added. The major fatty acid
components found in Vicia faba beans are palmitic acid (15.759%);
stearic acid (2.16%) oleic acid (30.21%); linoleic acid (46.41%);
and linolenic acid (2.74%). The remaining 2.7% comprises minor
amounts of other fatty acids, as shown in the histogram of FIG.
1.
EXAMPLE 3
Thin-Layer Chromatography
[0031] Thin-layer chromatography consisted of a stationary phase
immobilized on a glass, and an organic solvent (55% phosphate
buffer and 45% methanol). The constituents of a sample were
identified by simultaneously running standards with the unknown.
The bottom edge of the plate was placed in a solvent reservoir, and
the solvent moved up the plate by capillary action. When the
solvent front reached the other edge of the stationary phase, the
plate was removed from the solvent reservoir. The separated spots
were visualized with ultraviolet light or by placing the plate in
iodine vapor. The different components in the mixture move up the
plate at different rates due to differences in their partitioning
behavior between the mobile liquid phase and the stationary phase.
The TLC of the ethanol extract from the oil free lyophilized powder
indicated a mixture of six components.
EXAMPLE 4
Analysis of Sample Extract A-1
[0032] The FTIR spectrum of a dried portion of the ethanol extract
indicated aromatic--CH at 3011 cm.sup.-1, aliphatic --CH at 2926
and 2858 cm.sup.-1, an --OH stretch at 3500 cm.sup.-1, and carbonyl
stretches at 1742 and 1643 cm.sup.-1.
[0033] The FTIR spectrum of the sample A-1 showed the persistence
of the vibration bands at 3500, 2926, 2856 and 1742 cm.sup.-1 with
the disappearance of the band at 1643 cm.sup.-1, indicating the
presence of a mixture of carbonyl-containing components. See FIG.
2. The mass spectrum analysis indicates a molar mass of 200.16447
g-mol.sup.-1, having two main fragmentations at m/z, 186.14587 and
169.11200 g/mol. See Table 1, and FIG. 3.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Mass spectra data for sample extract A-1
Calculated Mass difference Unsaturation Mass Intensity mass (mmu)
Possible formula number 200.16447 3800990 200.16505 -0.59
.sup.12C.sub.11.sup.1H.sub.22.sup.14N.sub.1.sup.16O.sub.2 1.5
200.12867 35.80
.sup.12C.sub.10.sup.1H.sub.18.sup.14N.sub.1.sup.16O.sub.2 2.5
200.11609 48.38
.sup.12C.sub.9.sup.1H.sub.16.sup.14N.sub.2.sup.16O.sub.3 3.0
[0034] Two isomers that might be accurate based on the formula
C.sub.9H.sub.16N.sub.2O.sub.3, and the fragmentation pattern
observed in the GC-mass spectrum, are as follows. The first
compound is
5,5-diethyl-6-hydroxy-1-methyldihydropyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione
(compound 1) having the formula:
##STR00001##
[0035] The second compound is
5,5-diethyl-6-methoxydihydropyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (compound
2) having the formula:
##STR00002##
[0036] The 169.11200 g/mol fragment produced during MS, shown below
as compound 3:
##STR00003##
can be produced from compound 1 by loss of the hydroxyl group from
C6 and loss of a --CH.sub.2 group from the methyl bonded to N1. It
can also be produced from compound 2 by loss of the methoxy group
bonded to C6.
[0037] The 186.14587 g/mol fragment produced during MS, shown below
as compound 4:
##STR00004##
can be produced from compound 1 by loss of a --CH.sub.2 group from
the methyl bonded to N1. It can also be produced from compound 2 by
loss of a --CH.sub.2 group from the methoxy group bonded to C6.
[0038] While sample extract A-1 may be either compound 1 or
compound 2, it is also contemplated that sample extract A-1 may be
a mixture of the two isomers having the same empirical formula.
EXAMPLE 5
Analysis of Sample Extract A-2
[0039] Sample extract A-2, which was obtained by column
chromatography as described above in Example 1, was analysed by
mass spectra and 1H NMR (see FIGS. 4, 5A, and 5B, and Table 2). The
mass spectra of the component (A2) separated from the ethanol
solution by column chromatography indicated a mass of 223.09703
g/mol, with a main fragment at m/z 177 g/mol.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Mass spectra data for sample A-2 Mass
difference mass Calc. mass (m mu) Possible formula 223.09703
223.22522 -128.19 C.sub.11H.sub.13NO.sub.2 223.2484 -151.37
C.sub.11H.sub.15N.sub.2O.sub.3 223.2053 -108.31
C.sub.10H.sub.11N2O.sub.4
[0040] An FTIR spectrum of sample extract A-2 shows the OH stretch
at 3500 cm-1, the --NH stretch at 3080 cm-1, the .dbd.CH stretch at
3016 cm-1,and the methyl --CH stretch at 2987 cm-1. A carbonyl
stretch is seen at 1737 cm-1 and the OCO stretch of carboxylate
group at 1600 cm-1 region. The .sup.1H NMR spectrum, at FIGS. 5A
and 5B, indicates phenolic protons. The most likely formulas are
given in Table 2.
[0041] On the basis of the spectral data and the nitrogen rule, we
expect that the formulation may be: C.sub.11H.sub.13NO.sub.4,
having a molar mass of 223.0 g/mol in accord with the GC-MS
results. Compound 5 is the probable structure of this compound:
##STR00005##
which may be named 2-(((carboxymethyl)amino)methyl)-6-methylbenzoic
acid.
EXAMPLE 6
Analysis of Other Identified Components
[0042] Other components in the fractions removed by column
chromatography were identified by HPLC-GC-mass spectroscopy. See
FIG. 6 and Table 3.
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Identification of other compounds t.sub.R
No. (min.) Possible compound M.W. Formula 6 6.46 2,3-Butanediol 90
C.sub.4H.sub.10O.sub.2 7 10.12 Butaneamide 3-N-dihydroxy 119.12
C.sub.4H.sub.9NO.sub.3 8 11.47 N,N-Dimethyl glycine 103
C.sub.4H.sub.9NO.sub.2 9 21.07 Lidocaine 234
C.sub.14H.sub.22N.sub.2O 10 23.89 1,7-Dimethylhypoxanthine 164
C.sub.7H.sub.8N.sub.4O 11 25.16 2-Benzothiazolamine, N-methyl- 164
C.sub.8H.sub.8N.sub.2S
[0043] The structures of the other identified compounds are shown
below.
##STR00006##
[0044] While present in the extracts, compounds 6 through 11 did
not contribute to anticonvulsant activity, with the possible
exception of compound 8 (N,N-dimethyl glycine).
EXAMPLE 7
Testing For Anticonvulsant Activity
[0045] BALB/c mice (25-30 g) were used throughout the study. The
mice were deprived of solid food for 18 hours prior to the
experiment. They were kept in wire-mesh cages to prevent
cropophagia, and they were allowed water ad libitum. All research
was conducted in accordance with internationally-accepted
principles for laboratory animal use and care.
[0046] Three hundred grams of brown broad beans were soaked in 1.0
L of distilled water overnight and boiled in a water bath until the
extract was reduced to 300 mL (about 3 hours). The extract was
homogenized and filtered. The filtrate was concentrated by cold
evaporation to a volume of 50 mL. This treatment resembles the way
in which broad beans are cooked for a meal in Sudan. The filtrate
was then lyophilized and powdered, and the oils or lipids were
removed from the lyophilized powder by extraction in hexane in a
Soxhlet extractor, as described in Example 1.
[0047] The chemical components of the oil-free lyophilized broad
beans powder were extracted with ethanol. To 50 g of the powder,
200 ml of pure ethanol were added, and the mixture was refluxed for
8 hours. The mixture was then filtered, and the ethanol solution
was concentrated to approximately 50 ml by rotary pump. The
off-white precipitate was separated out, filtered, and washed with
ethanol and dried.
[0048] The mice were pretreated orally with the extract (at a dose
of 0.01 mL/g of mouse) and divided into two groups of 12 mice each.
Then, at 30 minutes after pretreatment, the two groups were
injected intraperitoneally (IP) with strychnine, one group at 0.112
mg/kg, and the other group at 0.225 mg/kg. The numbers of animals
that died after treatment with extract and strychnine were recorded
and compared with the numbers of control mice (two groups, 12 mice
each) that had received the same doses of strychnine only.
[0049] Statistics were analyzed using SPSS (Version 12.0). Paired t
test (two tailed), Fisher's exact test, ANOVA, and multiple
regression analysis to compare data among the different groups. A P
value<0.05 was considered to indicate significance.
[0050] The control experiments were conducted where Strychnine
(0.225 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally in a group of 12 mice.
The mice started convulsions almost immediately, and all died
within 2.5 minutes following the injection of strychnine. See Table
4.
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Control-Strychnine (0.45 mg/kg,
intraperitoneally) Behavior before Time To DEATH No. convulsions
(minutes) 1 Writhing 3 2 Writhing 3 3 Writhing 2 4 Writhing 2 5
Writhing 2 6 Writhing 2.2 7 Writhing 2 8 Writhing 2 9 Writhing 2.1
10 Writhing 2.3 mean 2.3 .+-. 0.26
[0051] When phenobarbitone (phenobarbital) (50 mg/kg) was injected
intraperitoneally 15 minutes before strychnine, it protected
against the strychnine-induced convulsions, completely. See Table
5.
TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Phenobarbitone (50 mg/kg., i.p.) +
Strychnine (0.45 mg/kg, i.p.) Survival recovered time after Time to
first convulsion strychnine injection No. (minutes) (minutes) 1 7
70 2 8 80 3 5 80 4 7 90 5 6.5 70 6 7 75 7 8 80 8 9 75 9 9 70 10 10
75 mean 76.5 .+-. 5.58 minutes
[0052] Compound A-1, injected intraperitoneally in a dose of 50
mg/kg, protected mice against the strychnine-induced convulsions
completely, or at least as effectively as the phenobarbitone in
protecting mice against the strychnine-induced convulsions. See
Table 6.
TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 Effect of sample A-1 (50 mg/kg i.p.) on
seizures induced by strychnine (0.225 mg/kg i.p.) Survival recorded
time after strychnine No. Behavior before convulsions injection
(minutes) 1 Writhing 90 2 Writhing 52 3 Writhing 55 4 Writhing 60 5
Writhing 70 6 Writhing 60 7 Writhing 70 8 Writhing 60 9 Writhing 75
10 Writhing 70 Mean = 60.2 .+-. 7.2
[0053] Compound A-2, in contrast, produced slight but incomplete
protection against the strychnine-induced convulsions, protecting
the mice only for an average of 12.5 minutes. See Table 7 and Table
8.
TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 7 Effect of sample A-2 (50 mg/kg i.p.) on
seizures/time to death induced by strychnine (0.45 mg/kg i.p.) Time
to first Survival time recorded after No. convulsion strychnine
injection (minutes) 1 7.5 13 2 7.5 9.5 3 5 8 4 6 7.5 5 6.5 18 6 6.5
17 7 5.5 12 8 6.5 14 9 7.5 10 10 8 15 Mean = 12.4 .+-. 0.25
TABLE-US-00008 TABLE 8 Effect of sample extract dosage on
strychnine-induced (0.45 mg/kg, i.p.) convulsions in mice Dose of
purified Survival recorded compound (mg/kg, time after strychnine
i.p.) injection (minutes) Remarks Sample extract A-1 10 43.2 .+-.
5.1 No death recorded 25 55.7 .+-. 6.3 No death recorded 50 60.2
.+-. 7.2 No death recorded Sample extract A-2 10 2.5 .+-. 0.19
Writhing followed by death 25 7.6 .+-. 0.56 Writhing followed by
death 50 12.4 .+-. 0.25 Writhing followed by death
[0054] It would therefore appear that the extract of Vicia faba
beans, labelled herein as sample A-1, may be effective in
inhibiting the occurrence or modifying the severity of seizures and
convulsions incident to epilepsy.
[0055] It is to be understood that the extract of Vicia faba beans
is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but
encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the generic
language of the following claims enabled by the embodiments
described herein, or otherwise shown in the drawings or described
above in terms sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the
art to make and use the claimed subject matter.
* * * * *