Morin inhibits the activity of pancreatic lipase and adipogenesis

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Biochemistry
• Metabolic Diseases

Background:

• Obesity is a global health crisis linked to uncontrolled adipogenesis and lipogenesis.
• Pancreatic lipase is a key target for obesity treatment, with Orlistat being a common but side-effect-prone inhibitor.
• Morin, a pentahydroxyflavone, possesses diverse pharmacological properties, including lipid-lowering effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the anti-obesity effects of morin by examining its impact on pancreatic lipase activity and adipogenesis.
• To compare the efficacy and safety of morin against Orlistat as a pancreatic lipase inhibitor.
• To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo therapeutic potential of morin for obesity management.

Main Methods:

• Molecular docking and simulation studies to assess morin's binding affinity to pancreatic lipase.
• In vitro assays to measure pancreatic lipase inhibition and adipogenesis.
• In vivo studies in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet to assess morin's effects on body weight, glucose, insulin, and adipose tissue histology.

Main Results:

• Morin demonstrated higher binding affinity to pancreatic lipase than Orlistat and inhibited its activity in vitro.
• Morin reduced lipid droplet accumulation and downregulated key adipogenic and lipogenic genes in vitro.
• In vivo, morin administration led to reduced body weight, improved glucose and insulin levels, decreased adipocyte size, and lower expression of adipogenesis markers in mice on a high-fat diet.
• Morin showed no acute oral toxicity up to 2000 mg/kg body weight in mice.

Conclusions:

• Morin effectively inhibits pancreatic lipase activity and adipogenesis, both in vitro and in vivo.
• Morin presents a promising, potentially safer alternative for obesity treatment compared to existing therapies.
• Further research is warranted to fully explore the therapeutic applications of morin in managing obesity.