BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Chronic neurodegenerative process of epilepsy occurs in the brain. Antioxidants may reduce the neurodegenerative process.

METHODS: In the present study, the male Wistar rats weighing 200-250 gr. (n= 34) were randomly divided into five groups: 1- control group A contains 5 intact animals, 2- control group B contains 5 rats which received the solvents of rosemary extracts (RE) and Kainic Acid (KA) 3-  RE group contains 10 animals received daily,100 mg/kg  RE dissolved in distilled water and administered by gavage 4-  lesion group contains 7 rats received intraperitoneally a single dose of 9.5 mg/kg of KA and treatment group contains 7 animals received KA and RE.  The seizure signs of the rats were observed and recorded for 2-3 h after injection of KA and compared them between lesion and treatment groups. Caspase 3 immunohistochemistry was used for detection of apoptosis in hippocampus.

FINDINGS:. The results of this study showed that the administration of RE in rats with epilepsy caused by KA may reduce significantly (p<0.01) the seizures behaviors scores (4/29± 0/47 in lesion group and 2/14± 0/34 in treatment group). The occurrence of apoptosis was observed in the CA1 region of hippocampus by using caspase 3 staining.

CONCLUSION: This study showed that the RE could have antiepileptic and neuroprotective effects against the toxicity induced by KA.