Inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE): A Potential Therapeutic Target to Treat Alzheimer's Disease

A new series of icariin derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity. Most of the tested compounds exhibited high AChE inhibition and low toxicity, and among which compounds 1, 2, and 10 were the most potent (IC50=71.52 +/- 22.43, 8.28 +/- 1.45, 5.830 +/- 1.78nm, respectively).