Although the anticholinesterase activities of the test compounds did not reach that of galantamine, both the results of our study and those reported earlier suggest that open-chain spermidine and putrescine alkaloids bearing the p-coumaroyl moiety can have protective effects on the brain in degenerative diseases or anti-AD therapy by inhibiting AChE and BuChE. This evidence concerns the gene ACHE and neurodegenerative disease.