Activation effects of Allium tuberosum Rottl. on choline acetyltransferase.

An ethanolic extract of Allium tuberosum Rottl. demonstrated potent choline acetytrasferase (ChAT) activating activity (45%) among 30 screened Korean edible plants. The ChAT activator of A. tuberoum Rottl. was purified and identified as ferulic acid [4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid] via silica-gel open-column chromatography, HPLC, EI-MS, and 1H/13C-NMR. The ferulic acid from A. tuberoum Rottl. exhibited ChAT activity in a dose-dependent manner and showed notoxicity in a cell viability assay (MTT assay). We suggest that the ferulic acid from A. tuberoum Rottl. was the strong ChAT activator.