Anti-amnestic activity of pseudocoptisine from Corydalis Tuber.
Pseudocoptisine, a quaternary alkaloid with benzylisoquinoline skeleton, was isolated from Corydalis Tuber, one of the important medicinal plants in traditional medicine. Pseudocoptisine inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in a dose-dependent manner, and the concentration required for 50% inhibition was 12.8 microM. In further study, the anti-amnesic activities of pseudocoptisine in mice on the learning and memory impairments induced by scopolamine (1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) were examined. This alkaloid (2.0 mg/kg, p.o.) administration significantly reversed cognitive impairments in mice by passive avoidance test (p<0.05). It also reduced escape latencies in training trials and prolonged swimming times in the target quadrant during the probe trial in the water maze task (p<0.05). These results indicate that pseudocoptisine has anti-cholinesterase and anti-amnesic activities that may be useful for cognitive impairment treatment.
Hung
Tran Manh
TM
College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Korea.
Ngoc
Tran Minh
TM
Youn
Ui Joung
UJ
Min
Byung Sun
BS
Na
Minkyun
M
Thuong
Phuong Thien
PT
Bae
Kihwan
K
D000647:Amnesia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D044182:Benzylisoquinolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031311:Corydalis / Q000737:chemistry*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D044182:Benzylisoquinolines; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; C526231:pseudocoptisine