Extracts or isolated alkaloids of Amaryllidaceae species have shown activity in vitro in a range of assays related to disorders of the central nervous system, primarily Alzheimers disease (inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, AChE) [21,48-51], and anxiety and depression (affinity to the serotonin re-uptake transporter, SERT) [21,52,53]. This evidence concerns the gene ACHE and major depressive disorder.