Senol_2012_Int.J.Food.Sci.Nutr_63_802

The dichloromethane DCM ethyl acetate EtOAc and methanol extracts from the leaves roots and flowers of the five species of Gentiana Gentiana asclepiadea Gentiana cruciata Gentiana olivieri Gentiana septemfida and Gentiana verna and Gentianella caucasea were investigated for their inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase AChE and butyrylcholinesterase BChE and antioxidant effect using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging metal-chelation capacity and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assays Total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extracts were determined spectrophotometrically The presence of some characteristic compounds found in Gentiana species gentiopicroside swertiamarin isoorientin isovitexin and vitexin was analyzed in the extracts by thin layer chromatography The flower DCM extract of G verna exerted the highest inhibition against AChE 53.65 1.03 whereas the root EtOAc extract of G cruciata was the most effective in BChE inhibition assay 50.72 0.75 at 100 mug ml 1 The extracts of G verna were also found to be more active in the antioxidant tests.