Innovative Test Strip-Based Colorimetric Sensors Integrated With Affinity Chromatography: Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor Screening Breakthrough in Lycium Barbarum Leaves

Current Alzheimer's drugs exhibit limited effectiveness, highlighting the necessity for multi-target treatments. This study developed an innovative and efficient screening platform combining hydrogen peroxide test strip-based colorimetric sensing with affinity chromatography for rapid identification of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors from complex herbal medicines. Applying this strategy, from Lycium barbarum leaves, we identified three potent inhibitors: chlorogenic acid, N-acetyl-N'-caffeoylputrescine (NANCP), and N-caffeoylputrescine (NCP), with IC 50 ranging from 55.7 to 143.2 µ m . Molecular analyses confirmed their stable binding to AChE. In a D-galactose and AlCl 3 -induced Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse model, NCP treatment significantly rescued cognitive deficits in AD mice, with the spontaneous alternation rate in the Y-maze test improved by up to 50%. It markedly reduced cerebral Aβ levels (by 54%) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, alleviated oxidative stress, and attenuated hippocampal neuronal damage. Mechanistically, NCP modulated glycerophospholipid metabolism, reshaped gut microbiota, and targeted the proteasome-autophagy pathway, revealing a multi-faceted synergistic mechanism. The research offers a new screening tool for AChE inhibitors and highlights a promising natural multi-target candidate, NCP, for AD therapy.