title: Anticholinesterase, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects of Tripleurospermum disciforme and Dracocephalum multicaule.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nowadays, owing to medicinal plants as a candidate to obtain promising new medicinal agents, there is a renewed interest in the use of these natural sources for drug development.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In the present study, we aimed to assess the anticholinesterase, antioxidant, and neuropotective effects of Tripleurospermum disciforme and Dracocephalum multicaule extracts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Methanolic extract of the plants was prepared by maceration method. Anticholinesterase effect of different concentrations of the plants was studied by colorimetric method and antioxidant activity was evaluated using diphenypicrylhydrazil (DPPH) assay. Protective effect of the extracts against amyloid β (Aβ)-induced toxicity in PC12 cells was determined by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both T. disciforme and D. multicaule extracts could inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in a dose-dependent manner. The highest inhibition occurred at 5 μg/ml (71.18 ± 4.9 and 79.06 ± 3.1% inhibition respectively by T. disciforme and D. multicaule) in comparison to tacrine (86.37 ± 3.24%). The greatest DPPH inhibition of T. disciforme and D. multicaule was shown at 800 μg/ml (89.04 ± 3.9 and 78.5 ± 3.7%, respectively). None of tested extracts induced protection against βA toxicity in PC12 cell.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the results indicated anticholinesterase and antioxidant of the T. disciforme and D. multicaule, further specific studies and scientific validity are needed.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mandegary
authors.affiliation: Depatment of Toxicology, Tarbiat Moddaress University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Maliheh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soodi
authors.affiliation: Herbal and Traditional Medicines Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sharififar
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
keywords: Anticholinesterase; Dracocephalum multicaule; Tripleurospermum disciforme; antioxidant