Role of pancreatic lipase inhibition in obesity treatment: mechanisms and challenges towards current insights and future directions

Promising pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity of a novel tetrapeptide isolated from endophytic Fusarium incarnatum

Pancreatic lipase (PL) is the major enzyme which is required for assimilation of fats during metabolism. It has a dominant role in diet induced obesity. Bioassay guided fractionation of the culture broth of the endophytic fungus, Fusarium incarnatum and subsequent column purification of bioactive aqueous fraction revealed a novel tetrapeptide, 11-amino-2,5,8-triethoxy-4,7,10-trioxo-12-oxa-3,6,9-triazatetradecanoic acid (compound 1) which exhibited a remarkable potential to inhibit PL with IC50 of 2.12 ± 0.11 µg/ml. Further, biochemical characterization of compound 1 exhibited competitive inhibition of PL with an inhibition constant (Ki) of 7.1 µM. The studies involving mode of action of the compound and its effect on the accumulation of lipids in cells was evaluated using 3T3-L adipocyte cell lines. Compound 1 had also reduced the accumulation of lipids in 3T3-L adipocytes by 70% with no adverse cytotoxic effects to 3T3-L adipocyte cells, indicating a prominent aspect in reduction of obesity. Moreover the docking studies of human pancreatic lipase with its substrate (triacyl glyceride), compound 1 and orlistat showed higher affinity of lipase for compound 1. Binding energies for triacyl glyceride, Orlistat and compound 1 was found to be -4.8 kcal/mol, -4.9 kcal/mol and - 5.6 kcal/mol respectively. Thus, this novel tetrapeptide holds promise for clinical evaluation since it exhibits a better inhibition profile than the current anti-obesity drug Orlistat.

Study on the Chemical Composition, Biological Activity, and Mechanism of Intervention in Erectile Dysfunction of Healthy Snow Lotus Wine

The objective of this study was to investigate the chemical composition, biological activity, and intervention mechanism of Healthy Snow Lotus Wine in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). A preliminary relative characterization and relative quantification of Healthy Snow Lotus Wine was conducted using ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS). This analysis led to the screening of chemical components that met the criteria of drug similarity and bioavailability. Network pharmacology methods were utilized to identify the active ingredients and their molecular targets of Healthy Snow Lotus Wine that are relevant to the treatment of ED. Enrichment analysis revealed a significant association between Healthy Snow Lotus Wine and pathways related to chemical stress, particularly those involved in cellular basement membrane and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex signaling. Molecular docking experiments demonstrated that the key compounds bind well to key ED-related proteins, including STAT3, EGFR, SRC, AKT1, and BCL2. Antioxidant experiments demonstrated that the wine exhibited high antioxidant capacity, with its total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total proanthocyanidin content (TAC) being superior to those of other samples. These findings provide substantial evidence to support the therapeutic potential of Healthy Snow Lotus Wine in treating ED through multiple mechanisms, underscoring its notable biological activity.