Methanolic extract from red berry-like fruits of Hypericum androsaemum: chemical characterization and inhibitory potential of central nervous system enzymes

Hypericum androsaemum is an evergreen shrub spread in the Mediterranean basin and cultivated in several European countries. The plant bears fleshy and berry-like capsules that ripen from red to shiny black. In several European conutries H. androsaemum has been traditionally used as diuretic, hepatoprotective, wound healing and as an antidepressant agent. The aim of the study was to evaluate the pharmaceutical potential of the methanolic extract of H. androsaemum red berries (HASE) through inhibition of CNS enzymes such as monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), tyrosinase (TYR) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). HASE was obtained by soxhlet extraction and analyzed by HPLC-DAD for the content of ten bioactive constituents. HASE activities were measured in terms of monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A),tyrosinase (TYR) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition. HASE was very rich of shikimic acid and chlorogenic acid, occurring at concentration of 94941.7 and 39059.1 mg/kg,respectively. HASE was able to inhibit MAO-A and TYR in a dose dependent manner, although activity was not superior to positive control substances. On the basis of HASE composition and inhibitory effects on MAO-A and tyrosinase, red berries might represent an alternative Hypericum to obtain pharmacologically active substances.