Butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors from Angelica archangelica L. roots

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors are widely used as a drug for the symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). BuChE appears to be a very important new therapeutic target. Especially as the activity of BuChE increases with the higher stage of the AD, while the activity of AChE decreases [1]. Herbal extracts seem to be a significant source of new potential AChE and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) inhibitors, like galantamine isolated from the bulbs of daffodils. Recent data have shown that Angelica sp. and coumarins are able to inhibit the activity of acetylcholinesterase, but their potency was not very strong. On the other hand, there is no much information about the effects of those groups of compounds on butyrylcholinesterase activity.