Wild Argentinian Amaryllidaceae, a New Renewable Source of the Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor Galanthamine and Other Alkaloids

JAVIER E. ORTIZ; STRAHIL BERKOV; NATALIA B. PIGNI

MOLECULES

MOLECULAR DIVERSITY PRESERVATION INTERNATIONAL-MDPI

Lugar: Basel; Año: 2012 vol. 17 p. 13473 - 13482

1420-3049

Abstract: The Amaryllidaceae family is well known for its pharmacologically active alkaloids. An important approach to treat Alzheimer’s disease involves the inhibition of theenzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Galanthamine, an Amaryllidaceae alkaloid, is aneffective, selective, reversible, and competitive AChE inhibitor. This work was aimed atstudying the alkaloid composition of four wild Argentinian Amarillydaceae species for thefirst time, as well as analyzing their inhibitory activity on acetylcholinesterase. Alkaloidcontent was characterized by means of GC-MS analysis. Chloroform basic extracts from Habranthus jamesonii, Phycella herbertiana, Rhodophiala mendocina and Zephyranthesfilifolia collected in the Argentinian Andean region all contained galanthamine, andshowed a strong AChE inhibitory activity (IC50 between 1.2 and 2 μg/mL). To ourknowledge, no previous reports on alkaloid profiles and AChEIs activity of wild Argentinian Amarillydaceae species have been publisihed. The demand for renewable sources of industrial products like galanthamine and the need to protect plant biodiversity creates an opportunity for Argentinian farmers to produce such crops.