Evaluation of possible antioxidant and anticonvulsant effects of the ethyl acetate fraction from Platonia insignis Mart. (Bacuri) on epilepsy models

► Pretreatment of rats with the ethyl acetate fraction from Platonia insignis increases ambulation and rearing. ► Pretreatment of rats with the ethyl acetate fraction before treatment with 400 mg/kg pilocarpine significantly reduces lipid peroxidation and nitrite levels. ► Pretreatment of rats with the ethyl acetate fraction before before treatment with 400 mg/kg pilocarpine significantly increases superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in rat striatum. ► The ethyl acetate fraction did not increase the latency to development of convulsions induced with pentylenetetrazole and picrotoxin at the doses tested. ► The ethyl acetate fraction from Platonia insignis exerts a neuroprotective effect against striatal oxidative stress.