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Review
. 2022 Jun 4;27(11):3595.
doi: 10.3390/molecules27113595.

The GABAergic System and Endocannabinoids in Epilepsy and Seizures: What Can We Expect from Plant Oils?

Fábio Rodrigues de Oliveira  1   2 , Nágila Monteiro da Silva  1   3 , Moisés Hamoy  4   5 , Maria Elena Crespo-López  5   6 , Irlon Maciel Ferreira  7   8 , Edilene Oliveira da Silva  1   9   10 , Barbarella de Matos Macchi  3   5 , José Luiz Martins do Nascimento  1   3   5   7   11
Affiliations
Review

The GABAergic System and Endocannabinoids in Epilepsy and Seizures: What Can We Expect from Plant Oils?

Fábio Rodrigues de Oliveira et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Seizures and epilepsy are some of the most common serious neurological disorders, with approximately 80% of patients living in developing/underdeveloped countries. However, about one in three patients do not respond to currently available pharmacological treatments, indicating the need for research into new anticonvulsant drugs (ACDs). The GABAergic system is the main inhibitory system of the brain and has a central role in seizures and the screening of new ACD candidates. It has been demonstrated that the action of agents on endocannabinoid receptors modulates the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters; however, studies on the anticonvulsant properties of endocannabinoids from plant oils are relatively scarce. The Amazon region is an important source of plant oils that can be used for the synthesis of new fatty acid amides, which are compounds analogous to endocannabinoids. The synthesis of such compounds represents an important approach for the development of new anticonvulsant therapies.

Keywords: GABAergic system; endocannabinoids; epilepsy; plant oils; seizures.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structure of clinical used anticonvulsant drugs in clinical use. (A) Phenytoin, first generation; (B) Carbamazepine, second generation, and (C) Vigabatrine, third generation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Examples of natural endocannabinoids.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Synthesis of fatty acid amides by the reaction of aminolysis with triglycerides from plant oil and ethanolamine. R1, R2, and R3 are alkyl chains.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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