Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD), one of the leading causes of dementia, is a devastating neurodegenerative condition that primarily affects the brain. It causes memory loss as well as impairments in language and judgment. In this study, the antioxidant and anticholinesterase properties of Heliotropium. indicum leaf was investigated. The soluble phenols in dried leaf powder were extracted and the Ellman method was used to assess the ability of the extract to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activities. DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays were used to determine the antioxidant activity of the extract. Standard spectrophotometric methods were used to perform quantitative phytochemical (phenolic and flavonoid content) analysis of the leaf extract. The extract inhibited AChE and BChE activity in a dose-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 64.99 ± 3.66 and 25.83 ± 1.38 μg/ml, respectively. Furthermore, the scavenging activity of the extract against DPPH (IC50 = 42.03 ± 1.33 μg/ml) and hydroxyl (IC50 = 50.93± 2.44 μg/ml) radical was lower than that of the standard drug. The extract was discovered to have high phenolic content (307.50 ± 5.04 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry extract) and flavonoid content (84.75 ± 2.01 mg quercetin equivalent/g dry extract). The significant inhibition of AChE and BChE and potent antioxidant activity in the leaves of H. indicum suggest they may be useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Keywords Alzheimer’s disease, Cholinesterase, Heliotropium. indicum, Antioxidant activity.