Investigação dos efeitos inibitórios de Eryngium foetidum, (E)-2-dodecenal e arbutina frente a mecanismos oxidativos e enzimas digestivas

Abstract

The digestive process of food comprises a set of physical and chemical transformations with the participation of digestive enzymes (trypsin, alpha-amylases, alpha-glucosidases and lipases) whose nutritional products may be related to oxidative mechanisms and different metabolic disorders (obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemia). Thus, the search for inhibitors of these enzymes with antioxidant action has been one of the strategies for the treatment of these disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of extracts of Eryngium foetidum, (E)-2-dodecenal and arbutin on oxidative mechanisms and digestive enzymes. Fresh (FLE) and dried (DLE) leaf extracts of E. foetidum were obtained by percolation with 100% ethanol and (E)-2-dodecenal and arbutin were purchased commercially. Total phenols and flavonoids contents were determined by spectrophotometry. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH• radical scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and βcarotene/linoleic acid assays. The inhibitory effect against digestive enzymes was verified with pancreatic alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase. Molecular docking studies were performed between ligands (E-2-dodecenal and arbutin) and digestive enzymes. Total phenols contents were of 107.2 ± 0.73 mgEGA/g (DLE) and 118.8 ± 1.64 mgEGA/g (FLE), while flavonoids were of 7.5 ± 0.18 mgERU/g (DLE) and 77.6 ± 0.65 mgERU/g (FLE). Using the DPPH• assay, FLE and arbutin presented IC50 of 61.54 ± 0.35 and 176.30 ± 1.71 µg/mL, respectively, while in FRAP, these values were of 545.30 ± 15.01 and 231.00 ± 2.08 µg/mL, respectively. Regarding the inhibitory effect, (E)-2-dodecenal (42.86 ± 0.00%) and arbutin (53.33 ± 0.95%) were active against pancreatic alpha-amylase. FLE (79.94 ± 0.81%) inhibited alpha-glucosidase, while (E)-2-dodecenal (80.56 ± 7.35%) was active against pancreatic lipase. Molecular docking revealed that (E)-2-dodecenal and arbutin interacted with the catalytic sites of the enzymes, which may explain the inhibitory capacity. These results indicate that E. foetidum leaves, as well as (E)-2-dodecenal and arbutin, have antioxidant potential and inhibitory capacity against digestive enzymes, and may be promising agents for the treatment of metabolic disorders associated with oxidative processes.