Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitory, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of three dietary medicinal plants

Three medicinal plants namely Trigonella foenum-graecum, Glycine max and Sesamum indicum were evaluated for in vitro acetyl cholinesterase inhibitory activity. These plants have been selected based on their use as memory enhancing as well as their nutrient value. These plants have been consumed as nutritious food and are believed to play an important role in health-promoting. The results were expressed as IC(50) and the percent of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity. Diphenyl picrylhydrazil (DPPH) assay and beta-carotene bleaching method were used for antioxidant studies and brine shrimp lethality test (BSL) was used for cytotoxicity assay. The obtained results showed that the G. max extract has inhibited AChE activity strongly in a dose-dependent manner (IC(50) = 4.69 mg/mL). The most inhibition of AChE activity was due to G. max extract (68.4%). This extract was also able to scavenge DPPH radical with IC(50) = 454.3 mu g/mL The G. max extract has shown the least cytotoxicity (IC(50) value of 1112.6 mu g/mL) in BSL assay. T. foenum-graecum and S. indicum also exhibited noticeable AchE inhibition. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.