title: Inhibitory potential of some Romanian medicinal plants against enzymes linked to neurodegenerative diseases and their antioxidant activity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Eryngium planum, Geum urbanum and Cnicus benedictus plants are an endemic botanical from the Romanian used in folk medicine.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The extracts from three Romanian medicinal plants were investigated for their possible neuroprotective potential.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within this study, in vitro neuroprotective activity of the extracts of E. planum, G. urbanum, and C. benedictus plants were investigated via inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and tyrosinase (TYR). Total content of phenolics, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidins, high-performance liquid chromatography profile of the main phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were also determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the tested extracts, the best inhibition of AChE (88.76 ± 5.2%) and TYR (88.5 ± 5.2%) was caused by C. benedictus ethanol (EtOH) extract. The G. urbanum extracts exerted remarkable scavenging effect against 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (IC50, 7.8 ± 0.5 μg/mL aqueous extract, and IC50, 1.3 ± 0.1 μg/mL EtOH extract, respectively) and reducing power, whereas the EtOH extract of C. benedictus showed high scavenging activity (IC50, 0.609 ± 0.04 mg/mL), also.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates in vitro neuroprotective effects of E. planum, G. urbanum and C. benedictus.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Bioanalysis, National Institute for Research-Development of Biological Sciences, Centre of Bioanalysis, 060031 Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paun
authors.affiliation: Centre of Bioanalysis, National Institute for Research-Development of Biological Sciences, Centre of Bioanalysis, 060031 Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Neagu
authors.affiliation: Centre of Bioanalysis, National Institute for Research-Development of Biological Sciences, Centre of Bioanalysis, 060031 Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Camelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Albu
authors.affiliation: Centre of Bioanalysis, National Institute for Research-Development of Biological Sciences, Centre of Bioanalysis, 060031 Bucharest, Romania ; Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, Politehnica University of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Gabriel Lucian
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Radu
keywords: Antioxidant; Cnicus benedictus; Eryngium planum; Geum urbanum; enzyme inhibition; neurodegenerative diseases