Acetyl‐ and Butyryl‐cholinesterase Inhibitory Activities of Mansorins and Mansonones

Cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitory activities of three coumarins (mansorins A-C) and five naphthoquinones (mansonone C, E, G and H) were evaluated to determine the relationships between the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory effects and the core structures of these compounds. Among the tested compounds, mansonone E exhibited the highest ChE inhibitory activities, with IC₅₀ values in the low micromolar levels. In addition to revealing the ChE inhibitory activities of naphthoquinones for the first time, the results also revealed structure-activity relationship information that could be useful for further modification. Furthermore, the study also supports the hypothesis that mansonones are the active component in Thespesia populnea, a plant that previously has been shown to enhance memory activity in an in vivo study.