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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Pharmacol.

Sec. Neuropharmacology

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1656301

This article is part of the Research TopicModel Organisms in Neuropharmacology 2024View all 3 articles

Zebrafish-based assessment of luteolin's potential in modulating seizure responses

Provisionally accepted
Sabrina  Ester SchneiderSabrina Ester Schneider1Jefferson  PedrosoJefferson Pedroso1Cássia  Alves Lima-RezendeCássia Alves Lima-Rezende1Samara  Cristina MazonSamara Cristina Mazon1Aline  E Dos SantosAline E Dos Santos2Pablo  S GeanPablo S Gean1Marcelo  LanzaMarcelo Lanza2Mariana  Appel HortMariana Appel Hort3J  Vladimir OliveiraJ Vladimir Oliveira2Angelo  PiatoAngelo Piato4Liz  Girardi MüllerLiz Girardi Müller5Anna  Maria SiebelAnna Maria Siebel6*
  • 1Universidade Comunitaria da Regiao de Chapeco, Chapecó, Brazil
  • 2Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
  • 3Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil
  • 4Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
  • 5Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnologica, Oeiras, Portugal
  • 6Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Introduction: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder marked by recurrent seizures. Neuroinflammation and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling are involved in neuronal hyperexcitability, contributing to the onset and persistence of seizures. Repeated seizures during development may cause cellular, cognitive, and behavioral impairment. About 30% of patients do not respond to available treatments, which emphasizes the need for new therapeutic options. Luteolin, a natural compound known for its anti-inflammatory properties and that modulates mTOR, is a promising candidate for seizure control. This study evaluated the antiseizure potential of luteolin and micronized luteolin in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae exposed to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). Material and Methods: Five-day-old zebrafish larvae were treated with embryo medium (control), diazepam (positive control), luteolin, or micronized luteolin, followed by PTZ exposure. Seizure frequency and intensity were recorded, along with occurrence and latency to seizure stages. Locomotor and behavioral responses were analyzed 24 hours later. Brain tissue was used to assess molecular markers of inflammation (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α), mTOR signaling (p70S6Ka, p70S6Kb), and cell condition (BDNF, caspase-3). Results: Both luteolin presentations significantly reduced seizure incidence and severity. No locomotor or behavioral changes were observed 24 hours after seizures when comparing PTZ-exposed animals to sham groups. Furthermore, molecular analyses revealed no significant changes in the expression levels of the tested markers 24 hours after seizures. Discussion: These findings provide initial evidence that luteolin, in both raw and micronized forms, has antiseizure properties in developing zebrafish. Further research is needed to uncover the pharmacokinetic profile and mechanisms involved.

Keywords: Epilepsy, Luteolin, micronization, seizure, Zebrafish

Received: 29 Jun 2025; Accepted: 06 Aug 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Schneider, Pedroso, Alves Lima-Rezende, Mazon, Dos Santos, Gean, Lanza, Hort, Oliveira, Piato, Girardi Müller and Siebel. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Anna Maria Siebel, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.