engleski

Screening for acetylcholinesterase inhibition of medicinal plants from Croatia

Owing to their richness in secondary metabolites exhibiting remarkable diversity of both chemical structures and biological activities, medicinal plants are being recognized as promising sources of lead compounds for new drugs targeting neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common age-related dementia with a steadily increasing prevalence, but its treatment still remains an area of significant unmet need, with therapies based largely on the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate selected Croatian medicinal plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family as a potential source of natural inhibitors of this target enzyme. The ethanolic extracts of 27 plant species were screened for their antiacetylcholinesterase activity by in vitro Ellman method at concentration range of 0.25-1 mg/mL. Among them, remarkable inhibitory activity above 80% inhibition rate on AChE at 1 mg/mL showed the extracts of Mentha x piperita L., M. longifolia (L.) Huds. Salvia officinalis L., Teucrium chamaedrys L., T. montanum L., T. polium L. and Thymus longicaulis C. Presl. On the other hand, seven tested plant extracts (Acinos arvensis (Lam.) Dandy, Calamintha sylvatica Bromf., Clinopodium vulgare L., Marrubium incanum Desr., Mentha pulegium L., Micromeria juliana (L.) Benth. ex Rchb. and Origanum vulgare L.) did not reach the 50% inhibition of enzyme activity. The results of this study indicated that there is a great potential of Lamiaceae species growing in Croatia to provide novel drug leads for the treatment of Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders.

Lamiaceae; acetylcholinesterase inhibition

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