Anti-acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant assets of the major components (salicin, amentoflavone, and chlorogenic acid) and the extracts of Viburnum opulus and Viburnum lantana and their total phenol and flavonoid contents.

Some Viburnum species are used for preparation of the traditional drink called gilaburu in Anatolia. In the current study, our goal was to evaluate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory and antioxidant activities of the ethyl acetate, methanol, and water extracts prepared from the branches, leaves, and fruits of Viburnum opulus and Viburnum lantana along with salicin, amentoflavone, and chlorogenic acid, three major compounds abundantly found in these species. AChE enzyme inhibition was tested in vitro using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay microplate reader at 50, 100, and 200 μL/mL concentrations. Antioxidant activity was examined by ferrous ion chelating capacity, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and β-carotene bleaching assay at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 μg/mL. Total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extracts were also established by Folin-Ciocalteau and AlCl(3) reagents, respectively. Our data revealed that the leaf methanol extract of V. opulus displayed a significantly high inhibitory effect against AChE (57.63 ± 1.23%, 87.41 ± 0.99%, and 93.19 ± 0.87% at 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL, respectively). The extracts of V. lantana exerted higher antioxidant activity.