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A Novel Bifunctional Conjugate to Treat Neurodegenerative Disorders

AJAS · 2019 Biomedical and Health Sciences (inferred)

Amirtha Arun · Nebraska Academy of Sciences

Overview

Neurodegenerative disorders affect millions of people across the globe, with approximately 50 million people worldwide diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, this figure is likely to be a low estimate, as it reflects only people who are medically diagnosed as having AD. Nonetheless, this number is expected to double in the next 20 years, encouraging scientists across the globe to find ways to cure or alleviate symptoms of AD. Stimulating the effect of acetylcholine by neurons in the brain by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and relieving oxidative stress are two methods used to treat some symptoms of AD. This experiment evaluates whether plant extracts have the potential to both inhibit AChE and provide antioxidant activity, and so offers a novel approach to alleviating AD. Specifically, this experiment evaluates the AChE-inhibitory and antioxidant properties of leaf extracts from Salvia officinalis, Ginkgo biloba,Angelica archangelica, Nelumbo nucifera and Corydalis ambigua. To test the hypothesis that these extracts inhibit AChE activity, their potential to inhibit AChE purified from Electrophorus electricus (the electric eel) was assessed using a modified Ellman assay. To evaluate their antioxidant properties, a DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-hydrate) free radical method was used. Bi-functional conjugate prepared from the most potent extracts. Ginkgo biloba and Nelumbo nuciferaproved to be most effective as both AChE inhibitor and antioxidant. Further research and extensions of this test may include evaluating additional plant extracts and testing their effects on human AChE. Potential applications of this research would be to investigate whether the plant extracts alleviate symptoms in AD patients, as well as utilizing the extracts for medicinal and pharmaceutical interventions in other neural disorders.

Competition history

  • AJAS 2019 Category not listed

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Source: AAAS Annual Meeting (Confex) / American Junior Academy of Science

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