α-Glucosidase Inhibitors from Cold-Pressed Black Sesame (Sesamum indicum) Meal: Characterization of New Furofuran Lignans, Kinetic Study, and In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion.

Black sesame (Sesamum indicum) meal is an agricultural waste obtained after oil extraction. It is used as a key protein source in animal feed. Previous investigations have indicated that its health benefits, such as antidiabetic activity, are mainly due to its high lignan content. In the present study, we applied α-glucosidase inhibitory guided isolation to identify the active components responsible for the above claim. Twenty-nine compounds, mostly lignans, were isolated and identified, of which five (2-3, 12-13, and 28) were newly isolated. Of the isolated compounds, 20 and 21 were the most potent inhibitors, retarding enzyme function in noncompetitive and uncompetitive manners. Structure-activity relationship analysis suggested that the number of phenolic hydroxyl groups in the structures was significantly related to the inhibitory effect against α-glucosidase. A gastrointestinal digestion study of the major lignan sesaminol triglucoside (STG, 9) suggested that the transformation of dioxymethylene and glucoside moieties gradually began in the late process, thus enhancing the α-glucosidase inhibitory effect.

Schomburgkixanthone, a novel bixanthone from the twigs of Garcinia schomburgkiana.

A novel bixanthone, named schomburgkixanthone (1), was isolated from the twigs of Garcinia schomburgkiana, along with six known compounds, griffipavixanthone (2), 4-hydroxyxanthone (3), 2-hydroxyxanthone (4), 1,6-dihydroxyxanthone (5), 1,7-dihydroxyxanthone (6), and 1,3,5-trihydroxyxanthone (7). The structure of 1 was identified by the application of NMR and MS data analyses and comparison with previous reports. Compound 1 showed the most powerful inhibition of rat intestinal α-glucosidase, with IC50 values of 0.79 for maltase and 1.81 mM for sucrase. Compound 2 most strongly inhibited sucrase, with an IC50 value of 4.58 mM.

Furofuran lignans as a new series of antidiabetic agents exerting α-glucosidase inhibition and radical scarvenging: Semisynthesis, kinetic study and molecular modeling.

A new series of furofuran lignans containing catechol moiety were prepared from the reactions between lignans and a variety of phenolics. All 22 products obtained were evaluated against three different α-glucosidases (maltase, sucrase and Baker's yeast glucosidase) and DPPH radical. Of furofuran lignans evaluated, ß-14, having two catechol moieties and one acetoxy group, was the most potent inhibitor against Baker's yeast, maltase, and sucrase with IC50 values of 5.3, 25.7, and 12.9 µM, respectively. Of interest, its inhibitory potency toward Baker's yeast was 28 times greater than standard drug, acarbose and its DPPH radical scavenging (SC50 11.2 µM) was 130 times higher than commercial antioxidant BHT. Subsequent investigation on mechanism underlying the inhibitory effect of ß-14 revealed that it blocked Baker's yeast and sucrase functions by mixed-type inhibition while it exerted non-competitive inhibition toward maltase. Molecular dynamics simulation of the most potent furofuran lignans (4, α-8b, α-14, and ß-14) with the homology rat intestinal maltase at the binding site revealed that the hydrogen bond interactions from catechol, acetoxy, and quinone moieties of furofuran lignans were the key interaction to bind tightly to α-glucosidase. The results indicated that ß-14 possessed promising antidiabetic activity through simultaneously inhibiting α-glucosidases and free radicals.