Assessment of acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibitory and antioxidant activity of Alchemilla vulgaris and Filipendula ulmaria extracts

• We analyzed two Romanian medicinal plants that were not well studied Alchemilla vulgaris and Filipendula ulmaria with respect to their neuroprotective potentiality.
• We determined the total polyphenolic content, flavones and proanthocyanidins content in obtained extracts.
• We studied acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibitory and antioxidant activity of the extracts obtained.
• Results showed high acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effects, high tyrosinase inhibitory effects correlated with high antioxidant activity of these medicinal plants.
• These extracts due to its properties may be extremely useful in the therapy of degenerative diseases especially where the oxidative stress and cholinergic hypothesis are involved.

Medicinal plants represent an important source of active biological compounds that could be used for new drugs development. The present work aims the assessment of two Romanian medicinal plants that were not well studied Alchemilla vulgaris and Filipendula ulmaria with respect to their neuroprotective potentiality. The aqueous extracts (10% mass) and ethanolic extracts (10% mass and 70% (v/v) ethanol) of A. vulgaris and F. ulmaria were screened to evaluate their acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibitory effects as well as their antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity was determined using two methods, namely 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing power assay. The total polyphenolic content determined in the tested compounds was between 88.00 and 112.33 µg/mL, flavones between 360.00 and 862.00 µg/mL and proanthocyanidins between 77.66 and 130.00 µg/mL. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity was determined to be between 77.03 and 98.39% (at the highest used dose –3 mg/mL), the tyrosinase inhibitory activity was found to be between 60.00 and 90.65% (at 3 mg/mL) and the DPPH radical inhibition between 73.90 and 93.49%. These findings support the use of these medicinal plants in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson, Alzheimer.