Acetylcholinesterase inhibition and antioxidant potentials of some nigerian medicinal plants for the treatment of alzheimer disease and other related complications

Abstract

The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme that catalyzes acetylcholine hydrolysis in the treatment of Alzheimer disease (AD) will increase the levels of acetylcholine in the brain, thus improving cholinergic functions in AD patients. Natural therapies including herbs and medicinal plants are being used in the treatment of memory deficits such as dementia, amnesia, as well as Alzheimer‟s disease in Africa and other parts of the world. Hence, this study evaluated the AChE inhibition and antioxidant potentials of some Nigerian medicinal plants as remedy for AD and other related diseases. Female Wistar Rats (140 – 150 g) were induced with 3.3 mg/kg body weight of 2,2-Dichlorovinyldimethylphosphate (DDVP) with the aim of inducing Alzheimer and other related complications while the induced animals were treated with 3.3 mg/kg body weight of the extracts of the various plants for four weeks in the various groups. The rats were anaesthetized and dissected individually; blood and selected organs were collected. The in vitro and in vivo antioxidants properties and AChE inhibition potentials were evaluated using various standard analytical procedures. The results of the in vitro antioxidants screening, in vivo antioxidant enzymes activities and inhibition of AChE activity of the various extracts demonstrated that the plants extracts may possess powerful antioxidants potentials and AChE inhibitory ability to protect from the effects of AD. The plants‟ leaf extracts could be utilized in drug developments to prevent and cure the consequences of AD and other related diseases.