Screening antioxidant and anticholinesterase potential of Iris albicans extracts

The antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities of the extracts prepared from the rhizomes and flowering aerial parts of Iris albicans were determined in this study. The chloroform extract of the rhizomes was rich in total phenolic contents (431.98 +/- 0.49 mu gPEs/mg), and the chloroform extract of the aerial parts in total flavonoid contents (663.05 +/- 0.32 mu gQEs/mg). Although the chloroform extract of the rhizomes exhibited the best antioxidant effect in beta-carotene bleaching and CUPRAC methods among the tested extracts at all concentrations, it was found inactive in the metal chelating assay. The methanol extract of the aerial parts indicated moderate metal chelating activity (60%) at 100 mu g/mL. The chloroform extract of the rhizomes showed moderate anticholinesterase effect at 200 mu g/mL. The chloroform extract of the aerial parts showed significantly inhibition against butyrylcholinesterase (78.44 +/- 0.51%). (C) 2012 Production and hosting by Elsevier B. V. on behalf of King Saud University.