Inhibitory potential of the leaves and berries of Myrtus communis L. (myrtle) against enzymes linked to neurodegenerative diseases and their antioxidant actions

Abstract

The dichloromethane (DCM), acetone, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the leaves and berries of Myrtus communis L. were screened against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and tyrosinase (TYRO), the enzymes linked to neurodegenerative diseases, at 200 μg ml^{− 1}. Antioxidant activity was tested using radical scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and N,N- dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DMPD) radicals, metal chelation capacity, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and phosphomolybdenum-reducing antioxidant power (PRAP) assays. Total phenol and flavonoid quantification of the extracts was calculated spectrophotometrically. The extracts showed a moderate AChE (17.49 ± 3.99% to 43.15 ± 1.55%) and TYRO inhibition (4.48 ± 1.50% to 40.53 ± 0.47%). The leaf extracts were ineffective against BChE, while the berry extracts displayed inhibition between 21.83 ± 3.82% and 36.80 ± 2.00%. The polar extracts exerted remarkable scavenging effect against DPPH and DMPD and also in the FRAP assay, where the DCM extract of the berries had the best metal chelation capacity (79.29 ± 1.14%). This is the first study that demonstrates in vitro neuroprotective effects of myrtle.

Keywords::

• Myrtus communis
• myrtle
• cholinesterase inhibition
• antioxidant activity

Acknowledgements

F.S. Senol would like to thank to the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) for the scholarship provided for her Ph.D. programme.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.