Screening of anticholinesterase activity of alkaloids from extracts of ten selected indigenous plants in Mindanao

This study was done with the intent to screen the acetylcholinesterase activity of alkaloids from plant extracts of ten selected indigenous plants in Mindanao. Determination of the functional groups which may attribute to the anticholinesterase activity was done using the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The presence of nitrogen, carbonyl group, hydroxyl groups and aromatic rings were found in Costus speciosus, Euphorbia hirta, Ipomoea aquatica and Mimosa pudica. The results of acute oral toxicity test show that at 2000mg/kg, Costus speciosus, Euphorbia hirta, Ipomoea aquatica and Mimosa pudica extracts are classi􀅭ied as Category 5: practically non-toxic based on the Globally Harmonised System [1]. Another purpose of this study is to acquire the Approximate Inhibitory Concentration (AIC50) of the extracts using the Ellman method to determine the% inhibition at concentrations logarithmically determined and linear regression was used to calculate the AIC50. The AIC50 of C. speciosus, E. hirta, I. aquatica and M.pudica extracts are 4.18 mg/mL, 3.74 mg/mL, 3.68 mg/mL, 4.18 mg/mL, respectively and their corresponding AIC50 range are 3.13-5.23 mg/mL, 2.81-4.68 mg/mL, 2.76-4.60 mg/mL and 3.13-5.23 mg/mL. Furthermore, the AIC50 of the plant extracts were compared statistically with the positive control (Donepezil), to know if there is a signi􀅭icant difference. Results show that the signi􀅭icant value 0.287 is greater than α = .05 (2-tailed). The researchers failed to reject the null hypotheses that there is no signi􀅭icant AIC50 difference between of C. speciosus, E. hirta, I. aquatica and M. pudica extracts and the positive control, Donepezil. Hence, the anticholinesterase activity of the plant extracts are comparable with the anticholinesterase activity of positive control, Donepezil.