Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the key enzyme in the breakdown of acetylcholine, is considered as a promising strategy for the treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia, ataxia and myasthenia gravis. A potential source of AChE inhibitors is certainly provided by the abundance of plants in nature. This article aims to provide a comprehensive literature survey of plants that have been tested for AChE inhibitory activity. Numerous phytoconstituents and promising plant species as AChE inhibitors are being reported in this communication.
aDepartment of Pharmacy, Pharmacognosy Research Laboratories, Franklin-Wilkins Building, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, UK
bSchool of Natural Product Studies, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India
Corresponding author. School of Natural Product Studies, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India. Tel./fax:+913324146046.
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