Screening for antimalarial and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities of some Iranian seaweeds

Alcoholic extracts of 8 different types of seaweeds from Iran's Persian Gulf were tested for their antimalarial and acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE) inhibitory activities for the first time. A modified Ellman and Ingkaninan method was used for measuring AChE inhibitory activity in which galanthamine was used as the reference. The antimalarial assay was performed using microculture radioisotope technique. Mefloquine and dihydroartemisinin were uased as the standards. The extract of Sargassum boveanum (Sargasseae family) showed the highest AChE inhibitory activity (IC50 equals to 1 mg ml(-1)) while Cystoseira indica (Cystoseiraceae family) exhibited the least activity (IC50 of 11 mg ml(-1)). The species from Rhodophyta (Gracilaria corticata and Gracilaria salicornia) also showed moderate activities (IC509.5, 8.7 mg ml(-1), respectively). All extracts were inactive in antimalarial assay.