Anticholinesterase activity of extracts and isolated coumarins from roots of Ferulago blancheana, F. Pachyloba, F. trachycarpa and F. bracteata

The study reports the anticholinesterase activities of Ferulago blancheana, F. pachyloba, F. trachycarpa and F. bracteata. Anticholinesterase activity from the methanol extracts from aerial parts and roots of these species and their n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous residue fractions along with the isolated compounds osthole (1), imperatorin (2), bergapten (3), prantschimgin (4), peucedanol-2'-benzoate (5), grandivitinol (6), suberosin (7), xanthotoxin (8), felamidin (9), marmesin (10), umbelliferone (11), and ulopterol (12) and a sterol mixture consisted of stigmasterol (13), beta-sitosterol (14) were evaluated by Ellman method. Dichloromethane fraction of root from F. blancheana showed strong inhibition against acetylcholinesterase (55.67%) and dichloromethane fraction of root from F. bracteata demonstrated strong inhibition against butyrlcholinesterase (99.78%) at 20 mu g/mL. Peucedanol-2'-benzoate (75.59%) and umbelliferone (61.09%) demonstrated strong inhibition against acetylcholinesterase. Prantschimgin (74.82%) and felamidin (77.11%) demonstrated strong inhibition against butyrlcholinesterase. Dichloromethane fractions of roots from these species had a notable anticholinesterase activities.