Investigation of the in vitro and ex vivo acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant activities of traditionally used Lycopodium species from south america on alkaloid extracts

E.L. KONRATH; B. MEDEIROS NEVES; P.S. LUNARDI; C. DOS SANTOS PASSOS; A. SIMOES-PIRES; M.G. ORTEGA; J.L. CABRERA; J.C. FONSECA MOREIRA; A. T. HENRIQUES

ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD

Año: 2012 vol. 139 p. 58 - 58

b s t r a c t Ethnopharmacological relevance: The study was aimed at evaluating medicinal and therapeutic potentials of two Lycopodiaceae species, Lycopodium clavatum (L.) and Lycopodium thyoides (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd), both used in South American folk medicine for central nervous system conditions. Alkaloid extracts were evaluated for chemical characterization, acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant activities. Materials and methods: The alkaloid extracts obtained by alkaline extraction were determined for each species by GC/MS examination. The evaluation of the anticholinesterase and the antioxidant activities of the extracts were tested by determining in vitro and ex vivo models. Effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were tested in vitro using rat brain homogenates and ex vivo after a single administration (25, 10 and 1 mg/kg i.p.) of the alkaloid extracts in mice. The in vitro antioxidant effects were tested for the 2-deoxyribose degradation, nitric oxide (NO) interac