Anticholinesterase activity and phenolic profile of two medicinal plants (Quassia undulataandSenecio abyssinicus) used in managing cognitive dysfunction in Nigeria

Abstract

Quassia undulata (QU) and Senecio abyssinicus (SA) leaves are known in folklore in the management of cognitive disorder in Nigeria. However, there is dearth of information about their mechanism of actions. In this study, the effect of QU and SA aqueous extracts on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butrylcholinesteras (BChE) activities were determined as well as their antioxidant capacity and phenolic constituents. The result showed that both extracts inhibited AChE and BChE activities and also exhibited antioxidant effect, however, extract from SA had the highest effect compared to that of QU. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of gallic, ellagic, caffeic, quercetin, rutin, and catechin. The inhibition of AChE and BChE activities, and antioxidant capacity of QU and SA could be among the mechanism of actions regarding their use in folklore for the management of cognitive dysfunction. These could therefore be linked to their richness in phenolic compounds, as SA extract exhibited higher effects. Practical applicationsMany plants have been used traditionally in the treatment of various disorders owing to their bioactivity. The outcome of this research provides biochemical information to the folkloric use of Quassia undulate and Senecio abyssinicus in the management of neurodegenerative disorder, and also to the pharmacologist with an option to synthesize drugs with little or no side effects. K E Y W O R D S anticholinesterase, antioxidant, medicinal plants, neurodegeneration, Quassia undulata, Senecio abyssinicus

Extracts from Almond ( Terminalia catappa ) leaf and stem bark mitigate the activities of crucial enzymes and oxidative stress associated with hypertension in cyclosporine A‐stressed rats

“…In this study, administration of CsA triggered the activity of AChE in comparison with the normal control rats, but was mitigated in ALE‐ and ABE‐treated CsA‐stressed rats. This indicates that the extracts could influence the availability and functions of ACh; the effect could be accrue to the phenolic compounds present in ALE and ABE, thus, agreed with the previous reports where extracts from that plants rich in phenolic compounds are effective inhibitors of AChE activity (Adefegha, Oyeleye, et al, 2018; Odubanjo, Oboh, et al, 2018; Oyeleye, Olasehinde, Ademosun, Akinyemi, & Oboh, 2019).…”

“…Elevated arginase activity has been linked to the reduced nitric oxide (NO, an endothelial relaxing agent) production by competing for ւ‐arginine, a substrate for NO synthase (NOS) activity in the NO production (Adefegha, Okeke, Oboh, Ijomone, & Oyeleye, 2018). Hence, reduction of NO level beyond threshold could result to pathologic conditions such as hypertension (Agunloye et al., 2019), endothelial dysfunction (Mahdi, Pernow, & Kövamees, 2019), atherosclerosis (Soldatov, Pokrovskiy, & Deykin, 2019), diabetes (Chandra, Fulton, Caldwell, Caldwell, & Toque, 2019), erectile dysfunction (Odubanjo, Oboh, Oyeleye, & Adefegha, 2018; Odubanjo, Olasehinde, Oyeleye, Oboh, & Boligon, 2018; Okeke, Adefegha, Oyeleye, & Oboh, 2018), cognitive dysfunction (Akomolafe et al., 2020), among others. The elevated arginase activity in the untreated CsA‐stressed rats compared to the normal control rats might be due to oxidative stress emanating from the administration of CsA.…”

Traditional Pathway of Oil Extraction from <i>Quassia undulate</i> Seeds and Its Chemical Characteristic

“…The Q. undulata seeds are known to have potential nematocidal activity on Meloidogyne javanica juveniles [6] [7]. In Nigeria, Q. undulata leaves were effective for the management of cognitive disorders [8]. Elsewhere, Q. undulata aqueous leaf extracts were proved to prevent scopolamineinduced amnesic effects in rats [9].…”

Anti‐cholinesterase and antioxidant properties of alkaloid and phenolic‐rich extracts from pawpaw (Carica papaya) leaf: A comparative study

“…The inhibitions of cholinergic enzymes [acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE)] are possible therapeutic strategy employed in AD management and other related diseases 5,6 . It is believed that the simultaneous increase of AChE and BChE activities breakdown of acetylcholine (ACh) in synaptic gap of AD brain and terminate the ACh neurotransmitter action 7,8 . However, the use of cholinesterase inhibitors could resolve this ailment 9 .…”