Anticholinesterase activity and antioxidant properties of Heinsia crinita and Pterocarpus soyauxii in Drosophila melanogaster model

Background: Plant alkaloids have become important sources of nutraceuticals owing to their pharmacological importance especially in the management of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. In assessing the therapeutic potentials of plant phytochemicals, the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) has emerged as a very veritable tool and has been largely accepted as an alternative model in biomedical research.

Objectives: In this study, alkaloid extracts from bush apple (Heinsia crinita (Afzel.) G. Taylor and padauk (Pterocarpus soyauxii Taub.) leaves were assessed on D. melanogaster exposed to aluminum toxicity.

Materials and methods: Alkaloid extracts were prepared by solvent extraction method. Thereafter, the extracts were evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant properties, Fe²⁺-chelating abilities and inhibitory effects on drosophila acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. The samples were also characterized for their constituent alkaloids via HPLC. Thereafter, effective safe dose of the extracts were determined in D. melanogaster (Harwich strain). Subsequently, flies assaulted with AlCl₃ were co-treated with the extracts (8.3 and 16.6 μg/g) for seven days, during which their survival rate was monitored. This was followed by assaying for the activities of AChE, antioxidant enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione-S-transferase (GST)]. Also, the flies were assayed for levels of thiobarbituric acid reaction substance (TBARS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Results: The results revealed that both extracts showed in vitro antioxidant properties with Padauk showing significantly higher antioxidant properties in vitro. However, there was no significant difference in their in vitro AChE inhibition. In vivo, Al-induced toxicity reduced survival rate, elevated AChE, SOD and GST activities, as well as TBARS and ROS levels which were ameliorated by the extracts. It was also revealed that piperine was predominant in PA, while 1-cyclohexen-1-yl-pyrrolidine was predominant in BA.

Conclusion: Our data suggest that the protective abilities of these extracts against Al-induced toxicity can be primarily associated with their anticholinesterase and metal chelating abilities. Thus, these vegetables can be potential sources of nutraceuticals against aluminum toxicity and associated diseases.