• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.10
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• pp.1395-1401
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• 2012

This study investigated the cognition-related effects on antioxidant activities, ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) contents, and AChE inhibitory activities in ethanol extracts from Zingiber officinale Rosc. (Korea), Curcuma longa L. (Korea), Curcuma longa L. (Myanmar), and Curcuma aromatica Salisb. (India). These extracts were investigated to determine the relationships among total polyphenols as well as DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities, GABA contents, and acetylcholinestrase (AChE) inhibitory activity. For the results, C. longa L. from Myanmar exhibited the highest contents of curcumin (97.1 ${\mu}g/mg$), total polyphenols (98.4 ${\mu}g/mg$), and GABA (1.31 ${\mu}g/mg$), as well as the strongest radical scavenging activities and AChE inhibitory activity. In addition, C. aromatica Salisb from India, which had the highest total polyphenol content (98.4 ${\mu}g/mg$) and strongest radical scavenging activities, exhibited relatively high AChE inhibitory activity similar to that of C. longa L. from Myanmar. On the other hand, Z. officinale Rosc. and C. longa L. from Korea showed low contents of curcumin (12.2 ${\mu}g/mg$) and polyphenols (85.7 ${\mu}g/mg$), as well as low AChE inhibitory activities. However, we could detect 1.11 ${\mu}g/mg$ of GABA in these extracts, which was similar to that of C. longa L. from Myanmar. Therefore, GABA content was not correlated with AChE inhibitory activity. Based on the results, AChE inhibitory activity is highly correlated with polyphenol contents in Zingibearceae family. Overall, among the Zingiberaceae tested, C. longa L. from Myanmar might be a strong candidate as a cognitive-enhancing ingredient.