Anticholinesterase activity in an alkaloid extract of Huperzia saururus

MG ORTEGA; AM AGNESE; JL CABRERA

Urban & Fisher

Lugar: Alemania; Año: 2004 vol. 11 p. 539 - 539

 Huperzia saururus (Lam.) Trevis. (Lycopodiaceae) is widely used in Argentinian traditional medicine as an aphrodisiac and for memory improvement. An aqueous extract from the aerial parts was obtained by decoction, revealing the presence of alkaloids, among other constituents. By partition with organic solvent in alkaline media alkaloids were extracted and then purified by gel permeation. The anticholinesterase activity in vitro of the alkaloid extract using erythrocyte membranes and human serum as sources of acetylcholinesterase and pseudocholinesterase respectively was studied. The results show a marked inhibition on true acetylcholinesterase with an IC50 of 0.58 mg/ml. Low inhibition was  observed on pseudocholinesterase (IC50 191  mg/ml). This shows a selectivity