Estudo preliminar in vitro da atividade antiacetilcolinesterásica de extratos etanólicos de plantas: possíveis alternativas no tratamento da doença de alzheimer

Abstract

Acetylcholinesterase (AchE) inhibition is the major therapeutic strategy employed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Many compounds extracted from plants demonstrate ability to inhibit AchE activity. Crude ethanolic extracts from Solanum tuberosum, Heteropterys aphrodisiaca, Croton urucurana, Chenopodium ambrosioides and Cereus Jamacaru were employed to evaluate the inhibition of erythrocyte AchE activity. All the extracts, except the one obtained from H. aphrodisiaca roots, were able to promote AchE inhibition at concentrations between 0.0625 mg/mL and 0.5 mg/mL. The extracts from S. tuberosum roots, employed as positive control, and C. urucurana stalks presented increased capability to promote AchE inhibition. More studies, including in vivo tests, needs to be developed to certify this effect and to evaluate if the active extracts also acts at cerebral AchE.