Investigation of aloe vera treatment by electrocorticography and immunohistochemical methods in penicillin-induced experimental model of epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures caused by an imbalance in neuronal excitability, affecting approximately 70 million people worldwide and occurring across all age groups. Recent studies have demonstrated that certain plant-derived compounds may exert beneficial effects on epilepsy. Aloe vera, in particular, has shown neuroprotective properties in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and depression, and is known to be capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier. Based on these findings, the present doctoral thesis aimed to evaluate the effects of Aloe vera in a penicillin-induced experimental epilepsy model. In this study, a total of 35 male Wistar albino rats, aged 8–10 weeks and weighing 200–250 grams, were used and divided into five groups: control (K), epilepsy (P), epilepsy + Aloe vera (PA), epilepsy + diazepam (PD), and epilepsy + Aloe vera + diazepam (PDA). All animals were anesthetized with urethane at a dose of 1.25 mg/kg. The epilepsy model was induced via intracortical injection of Penicillin-G (500 IU/2.5 µl). To assess neurophysiological effects, electrocorticographic (ECoG) recordings were obtained over a 2-hour period, and parameters such as spike wave count, amplitude, and latency were analyzed. All data were statistically evaluated using MATLAB software, with results considered significant at p<0.05. At the end of the experimental procedure, the animals were sacrificed, and brain tissues were processed for histological analysis using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining to examine neuronal structures and hippocampal layer thickness. Additionally, glial activation was assessed via immunofluorescence (IFA) analysis of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) expression. ECoG analysis revealed a significant reduction in spike wave counts, increased latency periods, and amplitude stabilization in the groups treated with Aloe vera and diazepam. Histopathological findings indicated that Aloe vera administration reduced neuronal damage and gliosis. These results suggest that Aloe vera may exert neuroprotective and anticonvulsant effects, supporting its potential as a complementary herbal therapeutic agent in epilepsy management.