title: In vitro screening on β-amyloid peptide production of plants used in traditional medicine for cognitive disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate the activity on β-amyloid peptide production of crude extracts of 9 plant species traditionally used in Benin or in Madagascar for the treatment of cognitive disorders, in order to select candidates for Alzheimer's disease treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  For each species, hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl-acetate and water extracts were tested, at non-toxic concentrations, on CHO cells overexpressing the human neuronal β-amyloid peptide precursor (APP695) to measure variations of APP processing (by Western-blotting) and, for the most active, of Aβ-amyloid production (by ECLIA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed, at non-toxic concentrations, a significant increase in CTF/APP ratio with Oldenlandia affinis cyclotide-enriched fraction, Prosopis africana EtOAc extract, Pterocarpus erinaceus aqueous extract and Trichilia emetica hexane extract. We also showed that the Pterocarpus erinaceus extract significantly decreased Aβ production, displaying effects similar to those of DAPT (γ-secretase inhibitor) on APP processing, but may act on another inhibition site.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These active extracts are worth further studies to isolate the compounds responsible for the observed activities, to analyze their mode of action and determine their clinical potentials.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacognosy Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue E Mounier 72-30, B-1200 Brussels Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium. Salim.Hage@uclouvain.be
authors.forename: Salim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hage
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kienlen-Campard
authors.forename: Jean-Noël
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Octave
authors.forename: Joëlle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quetin-Leclercq
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001541:Benin; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016466:CHO Cells; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D006801:Humans; D008270:Madagascar; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D010936:Plant Extracts