Anti-hyperglycemic, lipid-lowering, and anti-obesity effects of the triterpenes α and β-amyrenones in vivo

Identification of Two GDSL-Type Esterase/Lipase Genes Related to Tissue-Specific Lipolysis in Dendrobium catenatum by Multi-Omics Analysis

Dendrobium catenatum is an important herb and widely cultivated in China. GDSL-Type Esterase/Lipase proteins (GELPs) are widely distributed in plants and play crucial roles in stress responses, plant growth, and development. However, no identification or functional analysis of GELPs was reported in D. catenatum. This study identifies 52 GELPs in D. catenatum genome, which is classified into four groups by phylogenetic analysis. Four conservative blocks (Ser-Gly-Asn-His) are found in most GELP domains. Transcriptome analysis reveals the expression profiles of GELPs in different organs and flowering phases. Co-expression analysis of the transcriptome and lipidome identifies a GELP gene, Dca016600, that positively correlates with 23 lipids. The purified Dca016600 protein shows the optimum pH is active from 8.0 to 8.5, and the optimum temperature is active from 30 °C to 40 °C. The kinetic study provides V_max (233.43 μmol·min^-1·mg^-1) and K_m (1.49 mM) for substrate p-nitrophenyl palmitate (p-NPP). Integrated analysis of the transcriptome and proteome identifies a GELP gene, Dca005399, which is specially induced by freezing. Interestingly, Dca005399 shows high expression in symbiotic germination seeds and sepals. This study provides new insights into the function of D. catenatum GELPs in plant development and stress tolerance.

In Silico Study, Physicochemical, and In Vitro Lipase Inhibitory Activity of α,β-Amyrenone Inclusion Complexes with Cyclodextrins

α,β-amyrenone (ABAME) is a triterpene derivative with many biological activities; however, its potential pharmacological use is hindered by its low solubility in water. In this context, the present work aimed to develop inclusion complexes (ICs) of ABAME with γ- and β-cyclodextrins (CD), which were systematically characterized through molecular modeling studies as well as FTIR, XRD, DSC, TGA, and SEM analyses. In vitro analyses of lipase activity were performed to evaluate possible anti-obesity properties. Molecular modeling studies indicated that the CD:ABAME ICs prepared at a 2:1 molar ratio would be more stable to the complexation process than those prepared at a 1:1 molar ratio. The physicochemical characterization showed strong evidence that corroborates with the in silico results, and the formation of ICs with CD was capable of inducing changes in ABAME physicochemical properties. ICs was shown to be a stronger inhibitor of lipase activity than Orlistat and to potentiate the inhibitory effects of ABAME on porcine pancreatic enzymes. In conclusion, a new pharmaceutical preparation with potentially improved physicochemical characteristics and inhibitory activity toward lipases was developed in this study, which could prove to be a promising ingredient for future formulations.