Huperzia quadrifariata and Huperzia reflexa alkaloids inhibit acetylcholinesterase activity in vivo

EDUARDO L KONRATH; BRUNA M NEVES; CAROLINA S PASSOS; PAULA SANTANA LUNARDI; MARIA G ORTEGA; CABRERA J; CARLOS ALBERTO GONÇALVES; A. T. HENRIQUES

ELSEVIER GMBH

Año: 2012 vol. 19 p. 1321 - 1321

uperzine A, a Lycopodium alkaloid produced by Chinese folk herb Huperzia serrata(Lycopodiaceae), has been shown to be a promising agent for the treatment of Alzheimer´s disease due to its potent acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, as well its efficacy in the treatment of memory of aged patients. Thus, the effects of two Huperzia species of habitats in Brazil (H. quadrifariata and H. reflexa) with described in vitro AChE inhibition activities were studied and their effects on mice brainAChE inhibition were determined after a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. The alkaloid extractswere administered to mice in various doses (10, 1 and 0.5 mg/kg) and acetylcholinesterase activity was measured post mortem in two brain areas using the Ellman´s colorimetric method. The AChE activity was found to be significantly reduced in both the cortex and hippocampus, although this activity was less potent than that of reference inhibitor huperzine A (0.5 mg/kg). Thus, it appear