Antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory

activity of selected southern African

medicinal plants

E.A. Adewusi, N. Moodley, V. Steenkamp

South African Journal of Botany

2011

Impact factor : 1.106

INTRODUCTION TO PROBLEM

Alzheimer's disease (AD)

Is the most common form of dementia.

No cure for the disease and progressively leads to death.
Observed in people over 65 years of age.

Common symptom

Degeneration of neurological function .

- difficulty in remembering recent events, confusion, irritability

aggression, trouble with language, long-term memory loss, bodily
functions will be lost and ultimately leads to death.
 CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM

• Is due to the reduction in levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in

the brains by Acetylcholinesterase.

• Free radicals /ROS -

have one or more unpaired electrons in outer orbit

unstable and highly reactive
oxidative damage of biomolecules
Implementation of many diseases
 SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

• Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.

The synthetic medicines used e.g. tacrine, donepezil and
rivastigmine.

• Antioxidants

Are those substance which acts by neutralizing free radicals.

Are present both endogenously and exogenously.
Endogenously – enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase)
Exogenously – Plants, chemicals.
REASON BEHIND PRESENT WORK

In 2006, there were 26.6 million sufferers worldwide.

Alzheimer's is predicted to affect 1 in 85 people globally by 2050 .

The drugs presently used in the management of the disease have

various drawbacks
- Gastrointestinal disorder.
- Bioavailability

Therefore, the search for new AChEIs, and antioxidant particularly from
natural products has become essential.
 
Thus, the present study aims to screen some of the medicinal plants of
South Africa for their efficacy to treat Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVES

1. Evaluation of Acetocholinesterase inhibition activity

2. Evaluation of In Vitro antioxidant activity

3. Comparison of selected plants for their potent activity

Medicinal Plants for present work

 Salvia tiliifolia Vahl. (Lamiaceae) whole plant; P03649

 Chamaecrista mimosoides L. Greene (Caesalpiniaceae) root,

P08814

 Buddleja salviifolia (L.) Lam. (Buddlejaceae) whole plant,

P01281

 Schotia brachypetala Sond. (Fabaceae), (bark, P08514), (root,

P06300)
 Salvia tiliifolia Vahl.

The infusion of S. tiliifolia and B.

salviifolia have been reported to
be useful in treatment of
neurodegenerative diseases.
Salvia species have also been
reported to be used for memory-
enhancing purposes in European
folk Medicine.

Salvia tiliifolia Vahl.

 Chamaecrista mimosoides L

Cold water root

infusions of C.
mimosoides were
reported to be taken
to remember forgotten
dreams by the Zulu.

Chamaecrista mimosoides L
 Buddleja salviifolia (L.)

Buddleja species were used

together with Heteromorpha
trifoliate and Cussonia
paniculata by Sotho in South
Africa to treat early nervous
and mental illnesses.

Buddleja salviifolia (L.)

 Schotia brachypetala Sond.

The bark and roots

of S. brachypetala
were reported to be
used for nervous
conditions.

Schotia brachypetala Sond.

 Experimental Design
Salvia
tiliifolia
Vahl

Schotia
Chamaec Antioxid Neutralizes Free
Neurodegener rista
brachypet ants radicals
ala Sond ative disease mimosoid
es L

Buddleja
salviifolia
(L.)

Acetylcholinesterase
Increases

Acetylc Acetylcholi
Alzheimer’s holine ne inhibitors
Inhibition

disease level esterase

 MATERIALS and METHOD

1. Chemicals

• Acetylthiocholine iodide (ATCI),

• Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) type VI-S, from electric eel,
• 5,5′-dithiobis[2-nitrobenzoic acid] (DTNB),
• Galanthamine,
• 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH),
• 2,2′-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS),
• Trolox were purchased from Sigma,
• Methanol from Merck.
2. Plant collection

The plant species selected were collected in Gauteng Province, South

Africa.

Identification – South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

 3. Extract preparation

The plant samples were cut into small pieces

Dried in an oven at 30–60 ° C for 48 h & powdered

6 gms - was extracted with 60 ml of dichloromethane/methanol

(1:1) and distilled water for 24 h.

Organic extracts - rotary vacuum evaporator Aqueous extracts

- freeze-drying.

All extracts were stored at – 200 C prior to analysis

4. Micro-plate assay for inhibition of acetylcholinesterase

Ellman's colorimetric method as modified by Eldeen et al., 2005

• 25 μl of ATCI + 125 μl of DTNB

1

• 25 μl of plant extract (0.25, 0.5, 1 or 2 mg/ml), Absorbance was

2 measured spectrophotometrically at 405 nm every 45 s

• AChE (0.2 U/ml) was added to well and absorbance was

3 measured
• Galanthamine served as the positive control

• The percentage inhibition was calculated using the equation :

Inhibition ( % ) = 1−(A sample - A control )× 100

Where,

A = absorbance at 405 nm
5. Evaluation of In-Vitro Antioxidant activity

1. Determination of total phenolics

2. Determination of total flavonoids

3. Determination of total proanthocyanidins

4. DPPH radical scavenging assay

5. ABTS radical scavenging assay

RESULTS and DISCUSSION
 Note:

C. mimosoides has shown

80% activity at 2mg/ml in
organic extract.
Where as in aqueous
extract it has shown 55%
at highest concentration.

This suggest that organic

solvents are able to
extract more active
compounds with possible
AChE inhibitory activity
than water.

AChE inhibitory activity (%) of (A) DCM:MeOH (1:1) extracts and (B) water
extracts, of the plants investigated.
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity, represented by IC50 of plant
extracts as determined by the micro plate assay.

Extract AChE inhibition

IC50 (mg/ml)

DCM:MeOH (1:1) Water

S. tiliifolia 1±0.01 12±1.20

C. mimosoides 0.03±0.08 0.35±0.02
B. salviifolia 0.05±0.02 ND
S. brachypetala root 0.89±0.01 3.40±0.50
S. brachypetala bark 0.27±0.07 0.49±0.04

The IC50 value for the positive control, galanthamine, was 5.3×10−4 mg/ml.

Note : A Low IC50 value is indicative of good inhibition of the enzyme.

Both organic ad aqueous extract of C. mimosoides has shown low IC 50 value
indicating good activity.
DPPH radical scavenging activity (%) of (A) DCM:MeOH (ABTS) (1:1) extracts and
(B) water extracts.
Note : S.brachypetala root has shown better activity which is almost near to trolox
in both extract.
ABTS radical scavenging activity of (A) DCM:MeOH (1:1) extracts and (B) water
extracts, of the plants investigated.
Note : S.brachypetala root has shown better activity which is almost near to trolox in
both extract
 Antioxidant activity, represented by IC50 of the plant extracts, measured
by the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging tests.
Extract DPPH test ABTS test
IC50 (mg/ml) IC50 (mg/ml)
DCM:MeOH (1:1) Water DCM:MeOH (1:1) Water

S. tiliifolia ND ND ND 1.51±0.23

C. mimosoides 0.72±0.03 ND 0.3±0.05 ND

B. salviifolia 0.23±0.01 1.60±0.51 0.14±0.08 1±0.05

S. brachypetala root 0.05±0.02 0.05±0.02 3.26×10−7 3.7×10−7

±0.1×10−9 ±0.21×10−9

S. brachypetala bark 1.90±0.50 0.13±0.03 ND 0.15±0.03

ND, not determined represents extracts with a maximum inhibition below 50% at the highest
tested concentration of 2 mg/ml.
The organic extracts of the root of S. brachypetala has shown the lowest IC50 values in both
antioxidant assays, indicative of its good antioxidant potential.
 Total phenols, flavonoids and proanthocyanidin contents of the plant
extract investigated.

Plant Extract Total phe. a Total flav. b Total proanthocyan. c

S. Tiliifolia DCM:MeOH 129.75±0.02 35.98±0.08 64.08±0.02

Water 72.02±0.01 10.65±0.01 17.86±0.10
C. mimosoides DCM:MeOH 141.53±0.21 16.86±0.35 98.83±0.01
Water 64.16±0.13 5.32±0.38 16.19±0.05
B. salviifolia DCM:MeOH 169.66±0.33 23.95±0.11 92.42±0.63
Water 77.92±0.91 12.11±0.26 51.80±0.34
S. brachypetala DCM:MeOH 303.91±0.92 4.24±0.23 19.65±0.82
root Water 291.80±0.12 13.44±0.08 12.17±0.07
S. brachypetala DCM:MeOH 305.52±0.21 10.97±0.17 24.54±0.47
bark Water 337.66±0.12 17.71±0.54 163.04±0.86

Data represent mean±SD.

a Expressed as mg tannic acid/g of dry plant material.
b Expressed as mg quercetin/g of dry plant material.
c Expressed as mg catechin/g of dry plant material.
 CONCLUSION

Since Alzheimer's Disease is pathologically complex, the use of

multifunctional drugs is a more rational approach to treatment. Overall,
the DCM : MeOH extracts of C. mimosoides, B. salviifolia and S.
brachypetala roots showed good antioxidant and cholinesterase
inhibitory activity.

These plant extracts and their active components could emerge as

natural antioxidants, alternative anticholinesterase drugs or serve as
starting points for synthesizing more effective AChE inhibitors.
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