Exploring cholinesterase inhibitors from Phyllanthus reticulatus for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Objectives: The objective of this study is to explore the compounds having cholinesterase inhibitory and anti-oxidant activity from Phyllanthus reticulatus that may be useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Significance of the work: AD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the geriatric people characterized by impairment of memory and cognition. Until now there is no drug that can completely cure this disease. Inhibitors of cholinesterase are used as the first line pharmacotherapeutics to treat AD. In addition, antioxidant has been suggested to counteract the oxidative damage caused by oxidative stress in AD. P. reticulatus is used traditionally to treat brain disorders. Investigation of this plant may provide new drugs for the treatment of AD. Results: Four solvent fractions of different polarity were prepared from methanol extract of the plant. Phytochemical analysis revealed that the highest amount of phenolics is present in the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF), while the highest amount of flavonoids is seen in aqueous fraction (AQF). EAF demonstrated a strong inhibition against butyrylcholinesterase with IC50 of 42.28 µg/ml. Likewise, EAF displayed a strong antioxidant activity, with IC50 values of 4.03 and 17.97 µg/ml in DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging, respectively. Two compounds were isolated from EAF with Rf values of 0.42 and 0.24 using chromatographic methods. The spectral analyses of the compounds are currently in progress. Conclusion: This study suggests that P. reticulatus is a rich source of compounds with potential cholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant activity that may represent as candidate drugs in the treatment of AD.