PTP1B, α-glucosidase, and DPP-IV inhibitory effects for chromene derivatives from the leaves of Smilax china L.

• Sixteen chromene derivatives including two new compounds were isolated from the leaves of S. china L.
• Isolates (1−16) were evaluated for their ability to inhibit activity of PTP1B, α-glucosidase, and DPP-IV enzymes.
• Compounds 6, 11, and 12 are competitive inhibition of PTP1B.
• The binding sites of PTP1B to compounds 6, 11, and 12 were studied using molecular docking.

Two new flavonoids, bismilachinone (11) and smilachinin (14), were isolated from the leaves of Smilax china L. together with 14 known compounds. Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic methods. The PTP1B, α-glucosidase, and DPP-IV inhibitory activities of compounds 1–16 were evaluated at the molecular level. Among them, compounds 4, 7, and 10 showed moderate DPP-IV inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 20.81, 33.12, and 32.93 μM, respectively. Compounds 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, and 16 showed strong PTP1B inhibitory activities, with respective IC50 values of 7.62, 10.80, 0.92, 2.68, 9.77, and 24.17 μM compared with the IC50 value for the positive control (ursolic acid: IC50 = 1.21 μM). Compounds 2–7, 11, 12, 15, and 16 showed potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, with respective IC50 values of 8.70, 81.66, 35.11, 35.92, 7.99, 26.28, 11.28, 62.68, 44.32, and 70.12 μM. The positive control, acarbose, displayed an IC50 value of 175.84 μM. In the kinetic study for the PTP1B enzyme, compounds 6, 11, and 12 displayed competitive inhibition with Ki values of 3.20, 8.56, and 5.86 μM, respectively. Compounds 3, 4, and 16 showed noncompetitive inhibition with Ki values of 18.75, 5.95, and 22.86 μM, respectively. Molecular docking study for the competitive inhibitors (6, 11, and 12) radically corroborates the binding affinities and inhibition of PTP1B enzymes. These results indicated that the leaves of Smilax china L. may contain compounds with anti-diabetic activity.

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