Objective:To study the antiepileptic effect of different parts of Acori tatarinowii for pentylenetetrazol kindling rats. Method: Eighty SD rats were intraperitoneally injected with pentylenetetrazol solution at a dosage of 35 mg·kg-1 once every the other day for 14 times. The successfully kindled rats for epilepsy were then divided into 8 groups and drugs were ig given once a day accordingly. Volatile oil from Acorus tatarinowii was given at 50 mg·kg-1; the high doses of liquid extract with the volatile oil removed from A. tatarinowii at 28 g·kg-1; the medium dose of liquid extract with the volatile oil removed at 14 g·kg-1; the low-dose at 7 g·kg-1;β-asarone at 100 mg·kg-1;α-asarone at 70 mg·kg-1. Positive control group was given sodium valproate at 126 mg·kg-1. The normal group of 5 rats was given a normal ration without any special treatment. The model group was given the same volume of physiological saline. 36 days after the above mentioned treatments

the rats were injected intraperitoneally with the same dose of pentylenetetrazol

a test was done to determine the efficacy: the potential seizure observation time

the level and frequency of attacks

and the number of wet dogs. Result:The frequency of third-level seizure attack in the high dose group of A. tatarinowii water extracts without oil was reduced significantly(P0.05). The frequency of the second-level attack after the treatment by means of α-asarone was reduced significantly(P0.05)

and the frequency of the third-level attack was also reduced significantly(P0.01). Conclusion:The ingredients for antiepileptic effect in A. tatarinowii are its water-soluble parts and α-asarone.