In vitro study on Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory Activity and Neuroprotective Effect

of Bacopa monnieri Linn.

Pham Thi Nguyet Hang*, Do Thi Phuong, Nguyen Thi Phuong, Nguyen Minh Khoi

National Institute of Medicinal Materials, Hanoi, Vietnam

author: pnhang2004@yahoo.com

(Received September 16^th, 2013)

Summary

In vitro study on Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory Activity and Neuroprotective Effect

of Bacopa monnieri Linn.

Bacopa monnieri Linn. is a well-known traditional Ayuverdic medicine as nerve tonic and memory enhancer. In this study, the neuroprotective effect and in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity of water and n-butanol extracts of BM were examined. The results showed that these extracts protected cultured cortical neurons from beta-amyloid (Aβ25–35)-induced cell death and also had a negligible effect on the AChE activity with IC₅₀ values as 1.02 and 0.56 mg/ml, respectively.

Keywords: Bacopa monnieri Linn., Acetylcholinesterase, Cortical neurons, Beta-amyloid (25-35).

1. Introduction

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in elderly people worldwide [4].Multiple pathogenic factors including aggregated amyloid-β-peptide (Aβ) and tau protein, excessive transition metals, oxidative stress and reduced acetylcholine level have been implicated in AD pathology [10]. Neuropathological occurrence of AD symptoms and cognitive deficits were found to be consistent with the presence of Aβ plaques and cholinergic deficiency in the basal forebrain [5]. Thus, cholinesterase inhibition has been one of the candidates for treatment of AD and is considered to be a promising strategy for dementia therapy. Donepezil and galanthamine, drugs for AD treatment can cause side effects and they are largely ineffective for treating severe AD cases. Therefore, it is compulsory to develop new anti-AD drugs.

Bacopa monnieri (Linn.), BM is a plant belonging to the family Scrophulariaceae. BM has been a well-known traditional Ayuverdic medicinal plant and is used in India as a brain tonic. In Vietnam, BM grows throughout from Northern to Southern and usually used as daily vegetable.

Pharmacological studies have been found BM acting as anti-inflammation, antimicrobial and anti-depressant agent [7]. Some lines           of evidence showed that BM improves cognitive and memory impairment on animal experiments and healthy volunteer [6, 10]. Our study has been demonstrated that BM treatment ameliorates cognition dysfunction via a mechanism involving enhancement of synaptic plasticity - related signaling and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) transcription and protection of cholinergic systems from neuronal damage by using olfactory bulbectomized mice, an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease [12]. Therefore, this plant might have potential to ameliorate memory loss in Alzheimers disease patients. With the aim to find more scientific evidences of BM for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, this study investigates the neuroprotective effect of BM in cultured primary cortical neurons against beta-amyloid 25–35 (Aβ25–35) peptide and effect of BM on in vitro acetylcholinesterase activity

(Nguồn tin: )