Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 73, Issue 6 , Pages 319-324, June 2010

Screening for Anti-lipase Properties of 37 Traditional Chinese Medicinal Herbs

  • Cheng-Dong Zheng

      Affiliations

    • Research Centre for Natural Medicinal Chemistry, College of Science, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
    • College of Life Sciences, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
    • ,
  • Ya-Qing Duan

      Affiliations

    • Research Centre for Natural Medicinal Chemistry, College of Science, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
    • College of Life Sciences, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
    • ,
  • Jin-Ming Gao

      Affiliations

    • Research Centre for Natural Medicinal Chemistry, College of Science, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Jin-Ming Gao, Research Centre for Natural Medicinal Chemistry, College of Science, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
    • ,
  • Zhi-Gang Ruan

      Affiliations

    • College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China

Received 12 September 2009; accepted 29 April 2010.

Article Outline

Background

To find new, crude anti-obesity drugs from natural sources through the inhibition of adsorption of dietary lipids, in vitro porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL; triacylglycerol lipase, EC 3.1.1.3) inhibitory tests were carried out on selected plants with weight-reducing or related potential, used in Chinese traditional medicine.

Methods

The methanolic extracts of 37 traditional Chinese herbal medicines of different families were assayed for their in vitro activity against PPL by using spectrophotometry with 2,4-dinitrophenyl butyrate as a synthetic substrate. Coexistent phytochemicals, or those present in high levels, in the 3 most promising Chinese herbs were tested for their anti-lipase activity.

Results

Extracts from 2 herbs, Prunella vulgaris L. (Labiatae) and Rheum palmatum L. (Polygonaceae), at a concentration of 200 mg/mL, significantly inhibited PPL—by 74.7% and 53.8%, respectively. Quercetin exhibited better activity (27.4%) than all the other phytochemicals at a final concentration of 25 mg/mL in the assay system, followed by luteolin, with an activity of 17.3%.

Conclusion

The results support the view that herbs represent a rich source of anti-lipase compounds. The screening of the methanolic extracts of 37 Chinese medicinal plants in vitro led to the identification of several extracts with potential activity against PPL, in particular, P. vulgaris and R. palmatum. We also found that several monomeric chemicals in these herbs exhibited good or moderate activity against PPL. To the best of our knowledge, these traditional Chinese herbal medicines or phytochemicals have not been previously screened for their lipase inhibitory activity.

Key Words:  anti-lipase activity , anti-obesity agents , Chinese herbal drugs , Prunella vulgaris L. , Rheum palmatum L.

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PII: S1726-4901(10)70068-X

doi:10.1016/S1726-4901(10)70068-X

Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 73, Issue 6 , Pages 319-324, June 2010

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