Romila Devi Gopalan
School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment, The University of the South Pacific, Suva, FIJI
Title: Fijian Medicinal Plants Used in the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Illness
Biography
Biography: Romila Devi Gopalan
Abstract
Traditional and alternative medicine is the indigenous healthcare method that is still widely in the developing countries. Traditional medicine has been part of the Fijian culture due to its safety and effectiveness to illnesses. However, this knowledge is restricted to only the traditionalvillage healers. In a survey carried out recently in Fiji, thirteen traditional medicinal plants were selected those that were used by Itaukei village healers to cure headache, depression and related sickness. Since the traditional method for medicine preparation is extraction in water, the plant samples used in the study were extracted with water and ethanol. The crude extracts were then analysed for Acetylcholinesterase inhibition (AChEI) using Ellman‘s assay. Method: Thirteen plant species belonging to Melastomataceae, Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Rutaceae, Goodeniaceae, Loganiaceae, Araliaceae, Solanaceae, Polygonaceae, Zingiberaceae and Anacardiaceae families were tested at 0.2 mg/mL, 0.4 mg/mL, 0.6 mg/mL, 0.8 mg/mL, 1.0 mg/mL, 1.5 mg/mL and 2.0 mg/mL concentrations. Results and Discussions: The most active plants showed AChEI activity between IC50 = 4.57 mg/mL to IC50 = 9.24 mg/mL indicating the effectiveness of the compounds present in the extracts against the Acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme that plays a key role in normal cognition and memory. Conclusion: The plant extracts used in this study were crude extracts, thus the concentration of the active phytochemicals present may be of avery low concentration. These thirteen plants could prove leads to safer and better candidates for the future selection of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and potenially in treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related