Alkaloid Profile in Wild Autumn-Flowering Daffodils and Their Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory Activity

Abstract

Amaryllidaceae alkaloids are secondary metabolites with interesting medicinal properties. Almost every Narcissus species can synthesize them and constitute an excellent source for their isolation and study. Several Amaryllidaceae alkaloids have shown acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities and are a promising tool for treating cholinergic disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Indeed, three of the four palliative treatments approved for AD are acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors and one of them, galanthamine, is an Amaryllidaceae alkaloid itself. This molecule is currently isolated from natural sources. However, its production is insufficient to supply the increasing demand for the active principle. Our main aim is to discover tools to improve galanthamine production and to prospect for potential new and more efficient drugs for AD treatment. Furthermore, we seek to broaden the knowledge of plants of the genus Narcissus from a chemotaxonomic perspective. Hence, in this study, we evaluate the alkaloid content through GC–MS and the AChE inhibitory activity of ten autumn-flowering Narcissus, which have been less studied than their spring-flowering counterparts. A total of thirty Amaryllidaceae alkaloids have been found, twenty-eight properly identified. Two Narcissus contained galanthamine, and seven were able to inhibit AChE.

The Anti-Cholinesterase Potential of Fifteen Different Species of Narcissus L. (Amaryllidaceae) Collected in Spain

“…No information about the alkaloid profile of the species N. minor and N. nevadensis has been found in the literature. Regarding the alkaloid composition and anti-cholinesterase activity of certain species not listed in Table 3, Lisa-Molina and co-workers [6] evaluated the alkaloid profiling of ten samples of Narcissus, totaling nine different species (N. obsoletus, N. deficiens, N. serotinus, N. cavanillesii, N. viridiflorus, N. elegans, N. papyraceus, N. bulbocodium, N. blancoi) collected in Spain [6]. The authors detected thirty alkaloids among these samples, with two of them not being identified [6].…”

“…Regarding the alkaloid composition and anti-cholinesterase activity of certain species not listed in Table 3, Lisa-Molina and co-workers [6] evaluated the alkaloid profiling of ten samples of Narcissus, totaling nine different species (N. obsoletus, N. deficiens, N. serotinus, N. cavanillesii, N. viridiflorus, N. elegans, N. papyraceus, N. bulbocodium, N. blancoi) collected in Spain [6]. The authors detected thirty alkaloids among these samples, with two of them not being identified [6]. According to their results, the lycorine-type skeleton was the most diverse group detected among the samples, with these structures being observed in all of the species, except in N. viridiflorus and N.bulbocodium [6].…”

“…The authors detected thirty alkaloids among these samples, with two of them not being identified [6]. According to their results, the lycorine-type skeleton was the most diverse group detected among the samples, with these structures being observed in all of the species, except in N. viridiflorus and N.bulbocodium [6]. The authors also evaluated the AChE inhibitory activity of ten extracts of Narcissus, with seven of them able to act against this enzyme [6].…”

“…The presentation of blooms exhibited by the majority of these species is a characteristic Life 2024, 14, 536 2 of 15 feature observed during late winter and spring. However, there are a limited number of species that deviate from this pattern and blossom during the autumnal season [5,6].…”

Screening of Antiglaucoma, Antidiabetic, Anti-Alzheimer, and Antioxidant Activities of Astragalus alopecurus Pall—Analysis of Phenolics Profiles by LC-MS/MS

“…Phytochemical components in plants can facilitate treatment with a synergistic effect [ 31 , 38 ]. AD is a multifaceted neurodegenerative disease that arises and is characterized by changes in memory, behavior, reasoning, emotions, and abstract thinking [ 39 ]. The cholinergic hypothesis, which best explains the symptoms and pathophysiology of the disease, is accepted as one of the main hypotheses.…”