Screening and identification of anti-acetylcholinesterase ingredients from Tianzhi granule based on ultrafiltration combined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and in silico analysis

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Tianzhi granule (TZG) is a traditional Chinese formula that is widely used for the treatment of vascular dementia (VaD). Aim of the study: To discover the herbs in TZG possessing acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity and to screen the anti-acetylcholinesterase ingredients from active herbs. Materials and methods: In vitro AChE inhibitory activity assay of eleven herbal extracts was conducted. An ultrafiltration combined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method was established to screen and identify the anti-acetylcholinesterase ingredients from active extracts. In addition, in vitro AChE inhibitory activity assay and molecular docking were adopted for further investigation. Moreover, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed for the content determination of active compounds in TZG. Results: Three herbs in TZG showed significant AChE inhibitory activity. A total of thirteen active ingredients were screened out and identified, and all of these compounds were present in TZG. Five available commercial standards presented moderate AChE inhibitory activity, and all of which have a relatively high content in TZG. Conclusion: A number of herbs and compounds with acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity were found in TZG, which provided a scientific basis for the material basis and quality control research of TZG.