Development and butyrylcholinesterase/monoamine oxidase inhibition potential of PVA-Berberis lycium nanofibers

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential inhibitory effect of montmorillonite (MMT)-reinforced, glutaraldehyde-crosslinked PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) nanofibers loaded with root extract of Berberis lycium on monoamine oxidase A and B (MAO A and B) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) by using slightly modified Ellman’s test and Amplex Red monoamine oxidase assay, respectively. Enzyme inhibition studies of extract-loaded nanofibers showed significant inhibitory potential against MAO A, B, and BChE. There was an increase in enzyme inhibition with an increased extract concentration loaded to nanofibers. The fibers were characterized by TGA (thermal gravimetric analysis), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), XRD (X-ray diffractometry), and FTIR (Fourier-transform infra-red) spectroscopy to investigate thermal stability, morphology, structural changes, and functional groups in the nanofibers, respectively. SEM results of fabricated nanofibers reflected the beadless and smooth morphology of nanofibers with the porous structure. The contact angle measurements of fabricated nanofibers showed suitable hydrophilicity of nanofibers. The nanofibers loaded with the root extract of Berberis lycium have been found to be potent inhibitors of MAO A, B, and the BChE enzyme.