IN VITRO EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTICHOLINESTERASE ACTIVITIES OF ROSA DAMASCENA MILL. ESSENTIAL OIL AND ETHANOL EXTRACTS

İngilizce (OpenAlex)

Objective: Reduced acetylcholine levels, which play a critical role in learning and cholinergic neurotransmission, are closely associated with Alzheimer’s disease. This study comparatively evaluated the in vitro antioxidant activity, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory effects, and neuroprotective potential of essential oil obtained from Rosa damascena Mill. grown in the Isparta-Gönen region and the ethanol extract prepared from its dried flowers.Material and Method: Antioxidant activity was determined using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays, while anticholinesterase activity was assessed by the Ellman method.Results and Discussion: The essential oil exhibited strong antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ values of 0.9 μg/ml (DPPH) and 1.1 μg/ml (ABTS), whereas the ethanol extract showed IC₅₀ values of 2.6 μg/ml (DPPH) and 2.5 μg/ml (ABTS). The essential oil also demonstrated higher enzyme inhibition (AChE: 85.1%, BChE: 80.6%) compared to the ethanol extract (AChE: 74.5%, BChE: 69.9%). Overall, the essential oil showed superior antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities. These findings support the traditional use of rose oil for memory enhancement and suggest its potential as a natural source for pharmaceutical formulations targeting neurodegenerative disorders.