Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant activities and to evaluate the major polyphenolic compounds of Nelsonia canescens extracts. METHODS: The anti-acetylcholinesterase activity was assessed using a kinetic inhibition standard method. Two methods, ABTS and lipid peroxidation, were used to estimate the antioxidant capacity. Polyphenols profile of the plant extract has been determined with a HPLC-MS method. RESULTS: The results showed that butanol extract exhibited the best anti-acetylcholinesterase activity with inhibition percentage of (55.62±1.49)%. The best 3 ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate radical cation scavenging capacity was found for ethyl acetate extract with a value of (56.20±0.77) mg equivalent trolox/g while the crude extract showed the highest inhibition of the rat liver lipid peroxidation (52.57±1.20)%. Polyphenols profile revealed the presence of five phenol acids (p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid and gentisic acid) and three flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, quercetin). CONCLUSIONS: All the extracts of Nelsonia canescens exhibited antioxidant and AChE inhibition capacities. The active compounds identified and quantified in this species are mainly responsible for these in vitro biological activities and allow to justify its widely use in Burkina Faso traditional medicine.