Furanocoumarin Content, Antioxidant Activity, and Inhibitory Potential of Heracleum verticillatum, Heracleum sibiricum, Heracleum angustisectum, and Heracleum ternatum Extracts against Enzymes Involved in Alzheimer’s Disease and Type II Diabetes

Abstract

Hexane extracts of Heracleum verticillatum, H. sibiricum, H. angustisectum, and H. ternatum were studied fortheir furanocoumarin content antioxidant potential and acetylcholinesterase and α-amylase inhibitory activities.Quantification of the furanocoumarins was performed by 1H-NMR. Pimpinellin was found to be the maincomponent in the roots of all studied species. Bergapten and imperatorin were the major compounds in thefruits of H. sibiricum and H. verticillatum, respectively, while byakangelicol dominated in H. angustisectum and H.ternatum fruits. The leaf and fruit extracts of H. angustisectum demonstrated the highest DPPH radical scavengingactivity and TEAC (IC50 0.58 mg/mL and 1.83 mM, respectively). The root extracts of H. verticillatum and H.angustisectum were found to be the most effective against acetylcholinesterase (IC50 0.30 and 0.34 mg/mL,respectively). The studied extracts were not active or demonstrated a weak inhibitory effect (%Inh. up to 29.7)towards α-amylase.