Enhanced Efficacy and Reduced Side Effects of Standard Antiepileptics by New Kava Combinations

Abstract

The long‐term use of anticonvulsant drugs possess many unwanted effects, thus new safe combinations are urgently mandated. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the anticonvulsant effect of kava or its combination with a synthetic anticonvulsant drug, carbamazepine (CBZ) or diazepam (DZ). Animals were divided into two subsets, each comprising 9 groups as follows: GP I received 1% tween80 orally and served as control, while GPs (II) and (III) received kava at two dose levels (100 and 200mg/kg, p.o.). The remaining six groups received (IV) CBZ alone (30 mg/kg, p.o) or kava in combination with CBZ (V) (15 mg/kg, p.o) or (VI) (30 mg/kg, p.o), (VII) DZ alone (10 mg/kg, p.o) or kava in combination with DZ (VIII) (5 mg/kg, p.o) or (IX) (10 mg/kg, p.o). Results of the present study revealed that kava increased the maximal electroshock threshold (MEST) and potentiated the anticonvulsant effect of both, CBZ and DZ following both acute and chronic treatment. Moreover, neither kava nor its combination with CBZ or DZ impaired motor coordination acutely or chronically. Furthermore, kava ameliorated both the reduction in locomotor activity as well as the changes in liver enzymes induced by chronic administration of CBZ or DZ. The biochemical parameters were further confirmed with histopathological findings. In conclusion, the present study suggests the possibility of combing a low dose of CBZ or DZ with kava to reduce harmful effects and improve the quality of life in patients chronically treated with these synthetic anticonvulsant drugs.