Neuroprotective Effects of Trans-Caryophyllene Against Kainic Acid Induced Seizure Activity and Oxidative Stress in Mice

Trans-caryophyllene (TC), a component of essential oil found in many flowering plants, has shown its neuroprotective effects in various neurological disorders. However, the effects of TC on epilepsy haven’t been reported before. In this study, we investigated the effect of TC on kainic acid-induced seizure activity caused by oxidative stress and pro-inflammation. We found that TC pretreatment significantly decreased seizure activity score compared to kainic acid treated group. Importantly, TC pretreatment leads to lowering the mortality in kainic acid treated mice. In addition, TC was found to significantly inhibit KA-induced generation of malondialdehyde. TC pretreatment also preserved the activity of GPx, SOD, and CAT. Notably, our data shows that an important property of TC is its capacity to exert cerebral anti-inflammatory effects by mitigating the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-1β. These data suggest that TC has a potential protective effect on chemical induced seizure and brain damage.