Cordia dichotoma G. Forst fruit prophylactic against Alzheimer's risk factors: in vitro study

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological ailment that is progressive and incurable. Enzymes, including acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), and tyrosinase, are essential to AD pathogenesis. Inflammation and elevated oxidative stress also increase the progression of AD. Cordia dichotoma G. Forst. (C. dichtoma) family, Boraginaceae, is an Indian herb scientifically proven to perform various biological activities such as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory activities/ This research intended to provide a foundational understanding of the potential of C. dichotoma against AD through a series of in vitro studies and HPLC analyses. Ethanol (80%) extract (Extract-1) and aqueous extract (Extract-2) were prepared and subjected to in vitro AChE, BChE, and tyrosinase inhibition assay. Extracts were subjected to COX-1 and COX-2 inhibition assay, lipid peroxidation (LP) inhibition and free radical scavenging capacity (FRS) assay. An investigation was conducted to determine the presence of bioactive chemical constituents, vitamins and minerals using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) of C. dichtoma ethanol extract. Both extracts inhibited AChE, BChE, tyrosinase, COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes with IC₅₀ of 34.19, 54.19; 52.44, 37.33; 81.87, 612.33; 17.31, 20.42 and 19.67, 10.26), µg/mL for extract-1 and extract-2, respectively. They also reduced oxidative stress by inhibiting LP and FRS capacity, justifying the potential action against AD. The chemical investigation showed the presence of caffeic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vitamins such as nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, and nutrients responsible for the anti-AD of C. dichtoma extracts. The study justified the anti-Alzheimer activity of C. dichtoma extracts at the in vitro scale supported by the HPLC results.