Chen_2021_Chem.Biodivers__e2100443

The chemical compositions of essential oils (EOs) prepared from six spices including cinnamon, amomum tsao-ko, cardamom, amomum, black pepper and white pepper were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), which led to identify almost 200 volatile compounds. All EOs of spices showed cholinesterase inhibitory activity. Among them, pepper EO showed most potent acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity with IC(50) values of 8.54microg/mL (black pepper EO) and 5.02microg/mL (white pepper EO). Molecular docking and invitro validation suggested that 3-carene, alpha-pinene and beta-pinene with IC(50) value of 1.73, 2.66, and 14.75 microg/mL, respectively, might be active constituents of spices oil in inhibiting AChE. Furthermore, amomum tsao-ko EO and amomum EO can improve behavioral disorder in dementia zebrafish induced by aluminum trichloride (AlCl(3) ).