Dihydroagarofuranoid Sesquiterpenes as Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors from Celastraceae Plants: Maytenus disticha and Euonymus japonicus

J Agric Food Chem. 2015 Dec 2;63(47):10250-6. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b04168. Epub 2015 Nov 19.

Abstract

Natural cholinesterase inhibitors have been found in many biological sources. Nine compounds with agarofuran (epoxyeudesmane) skeletons were isolated from seeds and aerial parts of Maytenus disticha and Euonymus japonicus. The identification and structural elucidation of compounds were based on spectroscopic data analyses. All compounds had inhibitory acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. These natural compounds, which possessed mixed or uncompetitive mechanisms of inhibitory activity against AChE, may be considered as models for the design and development of new naturally occurring drugs for management strategies for neurodegenerative diseases. This is the first report of these chemical structures for seeds of M. disticha.

Keywords: Celastraceae; Eudesmanolides; Euonimus japonicus; Maytenus disticha; acetylcholinesterase; dihydroagarofurans.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholinesterase / chemistry
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors / isolation & purification
  • Euonymus / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Maytenus / chemistry*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry*
  • Plant Extracts / isolation & purification
  • Sesquiterpenes / chemistry*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors
  • Plant Extracts
  • Sesquiterpenes
  • Acetylcholinesterase