Background: Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the key enzyme in the breakdown of acetylcholine, is considered as a promising strategy for the treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia, ataxia, and myasthenia gravis. A potential source of AChE inhibitors is certainly provided by the abundance of plants in nature. Several methods for screening of AChE inhibitory activity from natural sources has been reported based on Ellman's reactions. Methods: This study was undertaken for the fi rst time to evaluate the anticholinesterase activity of Pancratium maritimum L., aiming to discover new candidates for anticholinesterase compounds. The second part of the study deals with a comparison of chromatographic screening of the bulbs and roots of the plant at pre-fl owering stage of growth for the alkaloidal content and a previous phytochemical investigation of the same plant at fl owering stage of growth using high performance thin layer chromatography technique. Results and Conclusion: The results of the preliminary chromatographic screening showed that the stage of growth has a remarkable effect on the type of alkaloids present.
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