Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition Activity and Phytochemical Screening of Red Betel Leaf (Piper crocatum Ruiz & Pav) as Anti-Dementia Agents

Abstract

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition that results in progressive cognitive deterioration. The AD therapeutic approach with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors aims to boost cognitive function by raising acetylcholine levels in synaptic neurons. Piper crocatum Rui & Pav has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting its potential to alleviate AD symptoms. This research aims to investigate the inhibitory activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in vitro and identify the active compounds present in the fractions of red betel leaves. The methods of this research are Ellman’s colorimetric method and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). The red betel leaves fractions demonstrated effective AChE inhibition, as reflected by their IC₅₀ values: 11.0965 µg/ml (ethanol extract), 16.7908 µg/ml (ethyl acetate fraction), 23.7390 µg/ml (n-hexane fraction), and 41.0044 µg/ml (water fraction). The ethanol extract with the lowest IC50 value was analyzed by LC-MS. The result showed 200 active compounds, 28 of which had concentrations exceeding 0.5%. The predominant active compounds include flavonoids, steroids, polyphenols, alkaloids, phenolics, vitamins, and carboxylic acids. In conclusion, the ethanol extract of red betel leaves shows promising potential as an AChE inhibitor, suggesting its use as a therapeutic agent to enhance cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's Disease.