Acetylcholinesterase inhibition, antioxidant and identification of some chemical constituents of Phyllanthus atropurpureus cultivated in Egypt

Investigation of the lipid constituents of the aerial parts of Phyllanthus atropurpureus resulted in isolation and identification of the fatty acid mixture which consists of eight acids with linolenic acid as major and the unsaponifiable fraction that contain a series of hydrocabons, sterols, in addition to one triterpene (α-amyrin). The acetone insoluble fraction was found to contain two fatty alcohols and three n-hydrocabons in which the n-eicosane is the most abundant (44.16%). The flavonoidal constituents were isolated from ethyl acetate and butanol fractions which were identified as: luteolin-7-O-glucoside, kaempferol 3-O-(p-coumaroylglucoside), kaempferitrin, luteolin and kaempferol. Evaluation of different extracts as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChI), established the chloroform fraction as a promising inhibitor of the enzyme. The antioxidant testing with DPPH radical revealed the potential of precipitate from MeOH extract as a radical scavenger.