Author/Authors :
Vahedi-Mazdabadi, Yasaman Nutrition Research Center - Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran , Karimpour-Razkenari, Elahe Persian Medicine and Pharmacy Research Center - Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Akbarzadeh, Tahmineh Persian Medicine and Pharmacy Research Center - Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Lotfian, Hania Department of Medicinal Chemistry - Faculty of Pharmacy - Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Toushih, Mohammad Electrophysiology Research Center - Neuroscience Institute - Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Roshanravan, Neda Cardiovascular Research Center - Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran , Saeedi, Mina Medicinal Plants Research Center - Faculty of Pharmacy - Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Ostadrahimi, Alireza Nutrition Research Center - Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract :
Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is a fruit cultivated in various parts of the world. Both sweet
and bitter kernels of apricot have been used for the treatment of different diseases such as loss
of memory in Iranian traditional medicine (ITM). In the present study, the inhibitory activity of
sweet and bitter extracts of apricot kernels towards cholinesterase (ChE) enzymes, both acetyl
and butyrylcholinesterase was examined through Ellman’s method. In addition, neuroprotectivity
of aqueous extracts and amygdalin were investigated against H2O2-induced cell death in PC12
neurons. Among them, the best acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity (IC50 = 134.93
± 2.88 μg/mL) and neuroprotectivity (P-value < 0.0001) were obtained by the aqueous extract
of bitter type. It was found that all extracts showed no butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory
activity.
Keywords :
Alzheimer’s disease , Amygdalin , Cholinesterase inhibitors , Neuroprotectivity , P. armeniaca
