title: In-vitro evaluation of selected Egyptian traditional herbal medicines for treatment of Alzheimer disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Egyptians recognized the healing power of herbs and used them in their medicinal formulations. Nowadays, "Attarin" drug shops and the public use mainly the Unani medicinal system for treatment of their health problems including improvement of memory and old age related diseases. Numerous medicinal plants have been described in old literature of Arabic traditional medicine for treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) (or to strengthen memory).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, some of these plants were evaluated against three different preliminary bioassays related to AD to explore the possible way of their bio-interaction. Twenty three selected plants were extracted with methanol and screened in vitro against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and cycloxygenase-1 (COX-1) enzymes. In addition, anti-oxidant activity using DPPH was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the tested plant extracts; Adhatoda vasica and Peganum harmala showed inhibitory effect on AChE at IC50 294 μg/ml and 68 μg/ml respectively. Moreover, A. vasica interacted reversibly with the enzyme while P. harmala showed irreversible inhibition. Ferula assafoetida (IC50 3.2 μg/ml), Syzygium aromaticum (34.9 μg/ml) and Zingiber officinalis (33.6 μg/ml) showed activity against COX-1 enzyme. Potent radical scavenging activity was demonstrated by three plant extracts Terminalia chebula (EC50 2.2 μg/ml), T. arjuna (3.1 μg/ml) and Emblica officinalis (6.3 μg/ml).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interestingly, differential results have been obtained which indicate the variability of the mode of actions for the selected plants. Additionally, the reversible interaction of A. vasica against AChE and the potent activity of F. assafoetida against COX-1 make them effective, new and promising agents for treatment of AD in the future, either as total extracts or their single bioactive constituents.
authors.forename: Shereen K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Ahmed R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Hamed
authors.forename: Maha M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Soltan
authors.forename: Usama M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Hegazy
authors.forename: Esameldin E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Elgorashi
authors.forename: Ibrahim A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: El-Garf
authors.forename: Ahmed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Hussein
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D004534:Egypt; D005309:Ferula; D029001:Herbal Medicine; D006801:Humans; D027902:Justicia; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D032443:Peganum; D029842:Phyllanthus emblica; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010851:Picrates / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D029766:Terminalia
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D010851:Picrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase