Butyryl- and acetyl-cholinesterase inhibitory activities in essential oils of Salvia species and their constituents

• Published in: Phytotherapy research Vol. 18; no. 4; pp. 315 - 324
• Main Authors: Savelev, S.U, Okello, E.J, Perry, E.K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-04-2004; Wiley
• Subjects: acetylcholinesterase; Acetylcholinesterase - metabolism; Alzheimer disease; Alzheimer Disease - drug therapy; Alzheimer's disease; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - pharmacology; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; butyrylcholinesterase; Butyrylcholinesterase - metabolism; carboxylic ester hydrolases; cholinesterase; cholinesterase inhibitors; Cholinesterase Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Cholinesterase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Cholinesterase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; enzyme inhibition; Erythrocytes - drug effects; Erythrocytes - enzymology; essential oil; essential oils; General pharmacology; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Plant Components, Aerial; Plant Oils - administration & dosage; Plant Oils - pharmacology; Plant Oils - therapeutic use; Salvia; Salvia fruticosa; Salvia lavandulaefolia; Salvia officinalis; Salvia officinalis var. purpurea; terpenoids; Alzheimer disease; Esterases; Extract; Target; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Degenerative disease; Chemical composition; Essential oil; Human; Terpenoid; Nervous system diseases; terpenoids; Enzyme; In vitro; Cholinesterase; Carboxylic ester hydrolases; Cerebral disorder; Treatment; Alzheimer's disease: Salvia; Labiatae; Central nervous system disease; Hydrolases; Spermatophyta; Salvia
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.1451

Extracts of Salvia (sage) species have been reported to have cholinergic activities relevant to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. A lack of information on the inhibition of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase, also considered to be a target in the treatment of the disease, prompted this in vitro investigation of the essential oils of S. fruticosa, S. lavandulaefolia, S. officinalis and S. officinalis var. purpurea for anti‐butyrylcholinesterase activity.
Dose‐dependent inhibition of human cholinesterases by the extracts and constituents was determined using the method of Ellman. A time dependent increase in the inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase by the oils of S. fruticosa and S. officinalis var. purpurea was evident. IC50 values decreased from 0.15 ± 0.007 and 0.14 ± 0.007 mg/mL after 5 min to 0.035 ± 0.016 and 0.06 ± 0.018 mg/mL after 90 min incubation time respectively. The slow onset of inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase was also shown by individual constituents, such as 3‐carene and β‐pinene. Analyses of the chemical composition of the oils and anti‐butyrylcholinesterase activity of their constituents revealed that none of the compounds tested would account for the total activity of the oils and that synergy is likely. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.