Inhibitory effect of Poncirus trifoliate on acetylcholinesterase and attenuating activity against trimethyltin-induced learning and memory impairment

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2009 May;73(5):1105-12. doi: 10.1271/bbb.80859. Epub 2009 May 7.

Abstract

Various native Korean plants were screened to find an effective acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Among these plants, the ethanol extract of Poncirus trifoliate was selected for isolating the AChE inhibitor because it exhibited the highest inhibitory activity (47.31%). To separate the active compound from Poncirus trifoliate, solvent partition, open column chromatography, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were utilized. The putative chemical structure of the AChE inhibitor was identified as methoxsalen by successive analysis with electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI-MS) and (13)C/(1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). To confirm the attenuating effect of the Poncirus trifoliate extract against trimethyltin (TMT)-induced neurotoxicity, in vivo behavior tests were carried out. Our findings suggest that the Poncirus trifoliate extract significantly reversed TMT-induced learning and memory impairment. These results demonstrate that the Poncirus trifoliate extract could possess a wide range of beneficial activities for neurodegenerative disorders, notably AD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholinesterase / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Brain / cytology
  • Brain / enzymology
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors / isolation & purification
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Ethanol / chemistry
  • Learning Disabilities / chemically induced*
  • Learning Disabilities / drug therapy
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Memory Disorders / chemically induced*
  • Memory Disorders / drug therapy
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • PC12 Cells
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / isolation & purification
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use
  • Poncirus / chemistry*
  • Rats
  • Solvents / chemistry
  • Trimethyltin Compounds / toxicity*

Substances

  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors
  • Plant Extracts
  • Solvents
  • Trimethyltin Compounds
  • trimethyltin
  • Ethanol
  • Acetylcholinesterase