The Protective Effect of Egyptian Withania somnifera Against AlzeheimerÃ¢ÂÂs
Withania somnifera popularly known as ashwaganda or Indian Ginseng is a well known plant in India. Furthermore, it is a common plant in Egypt. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the extracts of different parts of the plant in the protection against oxidative stress and its therapeutic potential in the treatment of Alzheimer’s. All the tested extracts showed significant anticholinesterase activity, with the highest activity produced by the ripe fruit extract, significant nitric oxide scavenging activity, strong haemolysis protection as well as strong antioxidant activity. Unlike the Indian plant that is reputed for the medicinal use of its roots, the results of the present study also suggest that both the fruits and leaves of Egyptian plant have promising activities. Withanolide S isolated from its leaves extract, could be regarded as an interesting drug candidate for treatment of Alzheimer’s as it showed strong in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity with IC50 value of 0.00035 μM, strong haemolysis protection and antiinflammatory activities. Molecular docking studies was carried out in order to explore its exact mechanism of action.