4. Conclusion
Here, we demonstrated the in vitro inhibitory effect of gallic acid (an important constituent of M. officinalis) in the MMP-2 activity. We have also demonstrated that the ethyl acetate fraction from M. officinalis presented the highest flavonoids content and antioxidant properties. Furthermore, the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited a moderate inhibition of cerebral AChE. In conclusion, M. officinalis could be further investigated for its possible use in the treatment of AD, due its very pronounced antioxidant activity and anticholinesterase activity. In addition, gallic acid, a phenolic compound present in M. officinalis extract could be also a promising drug in the treatment of AD due its antioxidant and MMP-2 inhibitory activities showed here.