The discovery of the natural compound Boeravinone-C as a potential antiobesity drug candidate targeting pancreatic lipase using chemo-informatics-based approaches.

Obesity is a metabolic disorder distinguished by excess fat deposition in fatty tissues. Pancreatic lipase is one of the promising drug targets for treating obesity due to its critical role in the hydrolysis of triglycerides into mono-glycerides and free fatty acids. Due to unsatisfactory results and severe side effects of the current drugs available for treating obesity, there is an urgent need to identify novel therapeutic options. Boerhaavia diffusa is one of the widely known species of flowering plant commonly known as Punamava. Extracts from Punamava plants have been widely used in treating countless ailments in traditional medicine. Recently, multiple reports demonstrated the potential antiobesity activity of B. diffusa plant extracts. In this scenario, we have evaluated numerous reported B. diffusa against pancreatic lipase drug targets to identify which reported phytochemicals to have the most promising potential to act as an inhibitor for pancreatic lipase using computational approaches. All the twenty-four phytochemicals from Boerhaavia diffusa were identified as significantly strong binders with a range of binding energies between -6.0 to -8.0 Kcal/mol inside the pancreatic lipase active binding site. On the other hand, we calculated 2D Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) molecular descriptor properties adhered to Lipinski's rule of five. Between twenty-four phytochemicals evaluated, Boeravinone-C, with a range binding energy of -8.0 Kcal/mol, was discovered as the best lead-like molecule, compared to marketed Orlistat, which has shown -5.6 Kcal/mol of binding energy. Conclusively, Boeravinone-C from B. diffusa extract showed promising inhibitory potential against pancreatic lipase worth further evaluation.

Chemical Composition, Antibacterial Activity and In Vitro Anticancer Evaluation of Ochradenus baccatus Methanolic Extract.

Background and Objectives: Ochradenus baccatus belongs to the family Resedaceae. It is widely spread in Saudi Arabia and other countries in Southwest Asia. O. baccatus is extensively used in traditional medicine as an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent, in addition to being a vital source of food for certain desert animal species. The aim of the present study was to investigate the chemical composition and antibacterial/anticancer activities of O. baccatus methanolic extracts collected from Hail, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: The O. baccatus extracts were obtained by macerating the crude powder in methanol, followed by filtration and evaporation. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to analyze the methanolic extracts' chemical constituents. Broth microdilution assay for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination was used to assess antimicrobial activity, while the extracts' anticancer potential was assessed by sulforhodamine B Assay (SRB) assay. Results: The results of the antibacterial assay showed that the methanolic extracts from the roots and branches possessed varying degrees of activity against particular bacterial strains, with the highest activity being exerted by the branches' extract against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium (St), demonstrating MIC values of 15.6 µg/mL and 20 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the SRB cell viability assay revealed that only the branches' extract inhibited the growth of A549 cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 86.19 µg/mL. The LC-MS analysis of the methanolic extracts from the plant's roots and branches was then conducted, resulting in the identification of 8 and 13 major chemical constituents, respectively. Azelaic acid, ß-amyrin, and phytanic acid are some of the bioactive compounds that were detected in the extracts via LC-MS, and they are thought to be responsible for the observed antibacterial/anticancer activity of O. baccatus methanolic extracts. Conclusions: This study confirmed the antibacterial/anticancer potential of O. baccatus methanolic extracts and analyzed their phytochemical constituents. Further isolation and biological screening are warranted to understand the therapeutic potential of O. baccatus.