INHIBITION OF ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE ACTIVITY USING VARIOUS MEDICINAL PLANTS

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease’s, characterization is usually done by reduced levels in the brain of the acetylcholine (ACh) neurotransmitter which is, also one of the common neurodegenerative diseases. Treatment of this disease is tough clinically and is dependent mainly on increasing the cholinergic function by stimulating cholinergic receptors or increasing the availability of Acetylcholine, which is released into the synaptic cleft of nerves with help of agents which improve or restore the levels of ACh. Acetylcholinesterase is the enzyme which breakdowns acetylcholine and its inhibition is considered for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) as a promising strategy. The following work combines a review of the literature on different species and families of medicinal plants which have been tested for inhibitory activity of Acetylcholinesterase. The listed plant species are potential inhibitors of cholinesterase and thus, may aid scientists in their study of naturally occuring products which may be important in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. Inhibition therapy of cholinesterase serves as an approach for the treatment AD. Lots of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are used for the indicative treatment of AD. These compounds are reported to have side effects which includes gastrointestinal disturbances. This study was thus partialy aimed at finding in vitro AChEIs in plant medicines traditionally which may be used to treat or cure cognitive disorders, and to find out the role of the plants as potential and likely sources for advancement of freshly potent and safe herbal therapeutic agents of Alzheimer’s Disease. AChE’s Assay activity has a major role in vitro depiction of drugs which also includes potential treatments for Alzheimer’s. Maximally and widely used method is based on Ellman’s method. The effect on Acetylcholinestearse activity of exactly 50 extracts of 10 different herbal plants were assessed using micro-well plate assay for AChE activity and Ellman’s assays.