Production of surplus free radicals leads to impaired neurotransmission which results in Alzheimer Disease (AD). Inhibition of Acetyl and Butyryl-cholinesterase enzymes is considered to be the prominent healing process for AD coupled with scavenging the free radicals in the living system. Medicinal plants possess specific compounds which showed inhibition of the enzymes upon screening and are antioxidants. In current study, Saxifraga flagillaris n-hexane, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate fractions were used to assess the antioxidant and anti-cholinesterase activity. Antioxidant activity was carried out by ABTS and DPPH assays. The ethyl acetate fraction of Saxifraga flagillaris showed maximum antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ of 11.54 for ABTS and 18.44 for DPPH assays. Acetyl and Butyryl-cholinesterase enzymes were inhibited in a dose dependent way as various concentrations of the extract were used (1000- 62.5 μg/mL). Acetylcholinesterase was inhibited with IC₅₀ of 16.06 by ethyl acetate fraction of Saxifraga flagillaris. Similarly, Butyryl-cholinesterase was inhibited by Saxifraga flagillaris ethyl acetate fraction with IC₅₀ of 16.94. These results suggest that the ethyl acetate extract of the plant possess metabolites which are potent antioxidants and also have high cholinesterase enzymes inhibition potentials. It is concluded that the plant extracts are best candidates for isolation of novel compounds to treat Alzheimer Disease.

Key Words; Antioxidants, Anticholinesterase; Alzheimer disease, Medicinal plants, phytochemicals