PURPOSE: A pharmaceutical composition containing a Perilla frutescens extract or benzo&lsqb；b&rsqb；naphtha&lsqb；2,3-d&rsqb；thiophene isolated from the extract for preventing or treating neuronal diseases is provided to suppress acetylcholine esterase(AChE), and to effectively prevent, treat, or relieve Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and neurodegenerative diseases. CONSTITUTION: A pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating neuronal diseases contains a Perilla frutescens extract as an active ingredient. The extract is prepared by using an organic solvent, water, or a mixture thereof. The extract is an ethanol extract. The extract is also an ethyl acetate fraction which is prepared by extracting with ethanol and sequentially fractioning a residue of the Perilla frutescens extract with hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate. The extract is a fraction which is prepared by performing silicagel column chromatography using chloroform and ethanol in a ratio of 100:0-80:20. The extract also contains benzo&lsqb；b&rsqb；naphtha&lsqb；2,3-d&rsqb；thiophene.본 발명에서는 자소엽 추출물 또는 이로부터 분리된 활성성분인 벤조[b]나프토[2,3-d]티오펜의 뇌신경질환 예방, 치료 또는 개선용 용도를 제공한다. 이들 성분은 우수한 아세틸콜린 에스테라아제(AChE) 저해 효과를 나타낸다. 따라서, 이들을 유효성분으로 포함하는 조성물은 알츠하이머병(Alzheimer’s disease； AD), 치매(dementia) 및 퇴행성 질환 등의 다양한 질환을 효과적으로 예방, 치료 또는 개선하기 위해 사용될 수 있다.
