The essential oil of Algerian Ammodaucus leucotrichus Coss. & Dur. and its effect on the cholinesterase and monoamine oxidase activities

Abstract

This study aims at performing a chemical analysis of the essential oil (EO) of Ammodaucus leucotrichus Coss. & Dur. and investigating the anticholinesterase and anti-monoamine oxidase activities.

The EO of the A. leucotrichus aerial part was analyzed by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The inhibitory potency against Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) were evaluated in vitro using modified Ellman's method. Monoamine oxidase activity was measured using the spectrophotometric method described by Weissbach.

The chemical analysis of EO showed that the main constituents were perillaldehyde (by about 58.3%) and limonene (by about 23.33%). Further, the essential oil extracted from A. leucotrichus exhibited a promising anti-butyrylcholinesterase activity with an IC50 of about 95.2 μg/mL, where the perillaldehyde and limonene IC50 corresponded to 42.7 μg/mL and 66.7 μg/mL, respectively. The anti-acetylcholinesterase activity was observed only with limonene with IC50 = 51.6 μg/mL. The highest monoamine oxidase inhibitor activity was observed by essential oil followed by perillaldehyde. The oil demonstrated IC50 values for monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) of 40.5 μg/mL and 98.9 μg/mL for perillaldehyde. While, IC50 values for monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) were 112.5 μg/mL and 159.1 μg/mL for EO and perillaldehyde, respectively. No inhibitory activity against monoamine oxidase has been reported with limonene.

A. leucotrichus C. & D. essential oil may represent an alternative source useful as a moderate anticholinesterase agent, particularly against butyrylcholinesterase and monoamine oxidase.