Effects of Chrysanthemum indicum Linne Flowers on the Acetylcholinesterase Activity and the Learning Performance of Mouse

Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurodegenerative disorder responsible for more than 50% of all dementia cases. There is significant interest in finding new sources of acetylcholinesterase inhibitor for use in treating Alzheimer's disease, since only a few acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are available for clinical use, such as galanthamine, physostigmine, and tacrine. In the present study, ICR (International Cancer Research) mice were treated with a dose of scopolamine, 1 mg/kg, which was able to cause impaired cognitive ability. The daily consumption of the water extract of Chrysanthemum indicum Linne flowers (0.1 mg/ g body weight) for three months could significantly prevent the scopolamine induced deficit of the spatial cognitive capability of mouse and improve long‐term memory in amnestic mice induced by scopolamine in Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests. In addition, the water extract consumption significantly decreased acetylcholinesterase activity in mouse brain, leading to inhibit the acetylcholine hydrolysis. Supported by Brain Korea 21.