Diospyros fischeri Gurke (Ebenaceae) is used in traditional medicine
for the treatment of epilepsy. Dichloromethane, ethylacetate, and
ethanol extracts of theroots, at doses between 100 and 1600 mg/kg BW,
inhibited convulsions induced by the γ-aminobutyric acid type A
(GABAA) receptor antagonist, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), in a dose
dependent manner. The extracts also exhibited low toxicity against
brine shrimps giving LC50 values between 45 .4 and 95.4 μg/ml.
These results provide evidence for the potential of D. fischeri
extracts to treat absence seizures, especially given their seemingly
innocuous nature
