Khuda_2014_Pak.J.Pharm.Sci_27_593

In present study four medicinal plants namely Valeriana wallichii, Xanthium strumarium, Achyranthes aspera and Duchesnea indica belonging to different families were collected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and crude extract and subsequent fractions were analyzed for their inhibitory potential against acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and alpha-glucosidase enzymes. Valeriana wallichii, Xanthium strumarium and Achyranthes aspera were significantly active against cholinesterases. Chloroform and ethylacetate fractions of Valeriana wallichii exhibited significant activity against acetylcholinesterase (IC50: 61mug/ml) and butyrylcholinesterase enzymes (IC50: 58mug/ml), respectively. Similarly ethylacetate fraction of Achyranthes aspera showed significant activity against acetylcholinesterase (IC50: 61 mug/ml) and butyrylcholinesterase enzymes (IC50: 61 mug/ml), respectively. In case of alpha-glucosidase enzyme, the chloroform fraction of Xanthium strumarium exhibited significant inhibitory activity (IC50: 72 mug/ml) as compared to the standard compound acarbose (IC50: 483 mug/ml). Duchesnea indica showed no such activities.