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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and diabetes are non-communicable diseases with global impacts. Inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) are suitable therapies for AD, while α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors are employed as antidiabetic agents. Compounds were isolated from the medicinal plant Terminalia macroptera and evaluated for their AChE, BChE, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibitions. From ¹H and ¹³C NMR data, the compounds were identified as 3,3′-di-O-methyl ellagic acid (1), 3,3′,4′-tri-O-methyl ellagic acid-4-O-β-D-xylopyranoside (2), 3,3′,4′-tri-O-methyl ellagic acid-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), 3,3′-di-O-methyl ellagic acid-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside (5), shikimic acid (6), arjungenin (7), terminolic acid (8), 24-deoxysericoside (9), arjunglucoside I (10), and chebuloside II (11). The derivatives of ellagic acid (1–4) showed moderate to good inhibition of cholinesterases, with the most potent being 3,3′-di-O-methyl ellagic acid, with IC₅₀ values of 46.77 ± 0.90 µg/mL and 50.48 ± 1.10 µg/mL against AChE and BChE, respectively. The compounds exhibited potential inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, especially the phenolic compounds (1–5). Myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside had the highest α-amylase inhibition with an IC₅₀ value of 65.17 ± 0.43 µg/mL compared to acarbose with an IC₅₀ value of 32.25 ± 0.36 µg/mL. Two compounds, 3,3′-di-O-methyl ellagic acid (IC₅₀ = 74.18 ± 0.29 µg/mL) and myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside (IC₅₀ = 69.02 ± 0.65 µg/mL), were more active than the standard acarbose (IC₅₀ = 87.70 ± 0.68 µg/mL) in the α-glucosidase assay. For α-glucosidase and α-amylase, the molecular docking results for 1–11 reveal that these compounds may fit well into the binding sites of the target enzymes, establishing stable complexes with negative binding energies in the range of −4.03 to −10.20 kcalmol⁻¹. Though not all the compounds showed binding affinities with cholinesterases, some had negative binding energies, indicating that the inhibition was thermodynamically favorable. Full article

The ethnopharmacology, chemistry and pharmacology of four Malian medicinal plants, Biophytum umbraculum, Burkea africana, Lannea velutina and Terminalia macroptera are reviewed. These plants are used by traditional healers against numerous ailments: malaria, gastrointestinal diseases, wounds, sexually transmitted diseases, insect bites and snake bites, etc. The scientific evidence for these uses is, however, limited. From the chemical and pharmacological evidence presented here, it seems possible that the use in traditional medicine of these plants may have a rational basis, although more clinical studies are needed. Full article

The root bark, stem bark and leaves of Terminalia macroptera were sequentially extracted with ethanol, 50% ethanol-water, and 50 °C and 100 °C water using an accelerated solvent extractor. Ten bioactive purified polysaccharide fractions were obtained from those crude extracts after anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The polysaccharides and their native extracts were characterized with respect to molecular weight, chemical compositions and effects in the complement assay. The chemical compositions showed that the polysaccharides are of pectic nature. The results indicated that there was no great difference of the complement fixation activities in the crude extracts from the different plant parts when extracting with the accelerated solvent extraction system. The purified polysaccharide fractions 100WTSBH-I-I and 100WTRBH-I-I isolated from the 100 °C water extracts of stem and root bark respectively, showed the highest complement fixation activities. These two fractions have rhamnogalacturonan type I backbone, but only 100WTSBH-I-I contains side chains of both arabinogalactan type I and II. Based on the yield and activities of the fractions studied those from the root bark gave highest results, followed by those from leaves and stem bark. But in total, all plant materials are good sources for fractions containing bioactive polysaccharides. Full article