Production of Cholinesterase Inhibitors from Irradiated Endophytic Microbes

Abstract

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChE-Is) play an important pharmacological role in neurodegenerative diseases specially Alzheimer’s disease. Recent reports showed the ability of some microorganisms that resides plants named, endophytes to produce these inhibitors similarly as were produced by the host plant. In this study, some endophytic fungi and actinomycetes were isolated from different plant species as Cassia fistula, Ziziphus spina-christi, Psidium guajava, Ficus religiosa, Lantana camara, and Huperzia serrate grown in cultivated areas in Egypt and China. Endophytic isolates underwent fermentation, alkaloid extraction, and screening for AChE inhibition. Among these, a molecularly identified Alernaria brassicae AGF041 recovered from H. serrate, was the most potent with the maximum acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of 75.5%.