Honors Theses
Date of Award
2017
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Biomolecular Sciences
First Advisor
Kristine Willett
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Epilepsy affects around 50 million people in the world, therefore improving treatment efficacy and safety for epileptics is imperative. In this study we sought to screen the effectiveness and safety of cannabis constituents (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol) and Tapinanthus globiferus extracts in treating epilepsy. We used a zebrafish model wherein seizures were induced by treatment with pentylenetetrazol. Our results showed that Tapinanthus globiferus dose-dependently reduced seizure activity, and no toxicities were seen at the concentrations used. In contrast delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol did not significantly reduce seizure activity and some toxicities were seen at the higher concentrations tested. We conclude that extracts of Tapinanthus globiferus show promise as anticonvulsants and further research is needed to identify the active constituents and their pharmacological properties.
Recommended Citation
Dietrich, Collin, "Utilizing the Zebrafish Model to Determine Anti-Epileptic Properties of Mistletoe and Cannabis" (2017). Honors Theses. 217.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/217
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