Polyoxometalates as potent inhibitors for acetyl and butyrylcholinesterases and as potential drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease

Polyoxometalates (POMs) show significant importance in medicine due to their enzyme inhibition, antiviral and anticancer properties. In this study, some polyoxotungstates were identified as potent inhibitors of acetyl and butyrylcholinesterases. Compounds [H2W12O42]10− and [TeW6O24]6− have the most potent acetylcholinesterase activity, exhibiting IC50 values of 0.29 ± 0.01 and 0.31 ± 0.01 μM, respectively. Whereas, compound [(O3PCH2PO3)4W12O36]16− was a potent and selective inhibitor of butyrylcholinesterase with IC50 value of 0.18 ± 0.05 μM. In general, POMs were found to be effective cholinesterase inhibitors in terms of efficiency as well as selectivity and represent non-classical cholinesterase inhibitors.