Rubus coreanus Miquel inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity and prevents cognitive impairment in a mouse model of dementia.

To find acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors for the prevention of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, ethanol extracts of promising traditional edible Korean plants were tested. Among them, Rubus coreanus Miquel extract exhibited the most significant AChE inhibitory activity. The effect of R. coreanus extract on trimethyltin-induced memory impairment in mice was investigated using Y-maze and passive avoidance tests. Our results showed that administration of R. coreanus extract significantly improved alternation behavior and step-through latency. In addition, R. coreanus extract was sequentially fractionated, and the purified constituent was determined to be 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid.