Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, arising as a result of malfunctions of different biochemical pathways. There are many multiple pathogenic factors such as aggregated amyloid-β-peptide (Aβ) and tau protein, excessive transition metals, oxidative stress and reduced acetylcholine level implicated in AD pathology.　

Gossypium herbaceam extracts (GHE), an active ingredient from Gossypium herbaceam, is a complex mixture mainly containing flavonols, such as quercetin, isoquercetrin and quercimeritrin. Each constituent of GHE has been identified, and their metabolites have been profiled.

Researchers from Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics & Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences(XTIPC), found an active ingredient from Gossypium herbaceam for AD treatment. On their previous study, it has shown that GHE has antioxidant stress properties in a rat model of AD induced by Aβ peptides, and exerted a positive effect on learning and memory impairment in rats induced by intracerebral injection of ibotenic acid. The present work is to continue to evaluate the antioxidant and AChE inhibition of GHE. All tested compounds were isolated and obtained from GHE, using 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR analysis as well as comparison of their basic spectral characteristics.