Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease are among the deadly disorders affecting the elderly population. Unfortunately, effective treatments and medications are still needed to combat these diseases. | Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry Turk J Agric For (2018) 42: 82-87 © TÜBİTAK doi: Research Article Neuroprotective potential of the fruit (acorn) from Quercus coccifera L. 1, 2 3 4 1 Fatma Sezer ŞENOL *, Nazım ŞEKEROĞLU , Sevgi GEZİCİ , Esra KILIÇ , İlkay ERDOĞAN ORHAN 1 Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey 2 Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Kilis 7 Aralık University, Kilis, Turkey 3 Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Kilis 7 Aralık University, Kilis, Turkey 4 Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Kilis 7 Aralık University, Kilis, Turkey Received: Accepted/Published Online: Final Version: Abstract: Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease are among the deadly disorders affecting the elderly population. Unfortunately, effective treatments and medications are still needed to combat these diseases. The ethanol extracts of the raw peeled acorns and acorn coffees from Quercus coccifera prepared by two different methods (boiled-roasted ground and roasted ground) were tested against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and tyrosinase (TYR), the enzymes associated with neurodegeneration. The acorns used in the present study were harvested from wild Quercus coccifera L. trees in Kilis Province, located in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey in November 2016. Cholinesterase (ChE) and TYR inhibitory activity of the ethanol extracts prepared from raw material and two coffee samples were screened using an ELISA microtiter assay at 2 mg/mL stock concentration. Antioxidant effects of the extracts were also tested for their scavenging activity against DPPH, while total phenol and flavonoid quantities of the extracts were determined spectrophotometrically. Our .
