AMINO ACIDS CONTENT AND ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE INHIBITION OF Huperzia saururus INFUSION AND DECOCTION

VALLEJO, M.G.; DIMMER, J.A.; ORTEGA, M.G.; CABRERA, J.L.; AGNESE, A.M.

PHARMACEUTICAL BIOLOGY

TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2013 vol. 51 p. 1 - 5

1388-0209

Context: Huperzia saururus (Lam.) Trevis. (Lycopodiaceae), an autochthonous plant species in Argentine, is used as memory improver in traditional medicine. For this reason it was studied and the purified alkaloid extract showed an important activity on learning and memory.  Infusions and decoctions are the most common way of consume for this species.Objectives: To evaluate the H. saururus infusion and decoction activity as inhibitors of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme and, to determine the amino acid content in both extracts.Material and methods: Infusion and decoction were purified by ionic exchange chromatography and analyzed by HPLC-UV, and AChE inhibition of these extracts was evaluated by using the Ellman method.Results:  Infusion and decoction exerted strong AChE inhibitory activities (IC50= 7.2 ± 0.4 and 22.7 ± 5.6 μg/mL). Among other nine amino acids, arginine (Arg) was identified in a concentration greater than 9 mg/100 g of dried aerial parts in both extracts. Discussion and Conclusion: This high content of Arg could be considered a contributing factor to the previously activity on memory demonstrated for the H. saururus alkaloid extract, in view that Arg is implicated indirectly in mnemonic processes since it is the precursor in the nitric oxide synthesis. Thus, the central effect of H. saururus could involve two different mechanisms, the cholinergic one and the nitric oxide pathway.