Experimental and in silico analysis demonstrates divergent modulation of pancreatic lipase by plant saponins, highlighting emulsion stabilization and direct ligand binding mechanisms.
The effects of saponin-rich extracts on pancreatic lipase activity were examined. Horse chestnut seed and ginseng root extracts stimulated lipase activity the most, while ivy leaf and fenugreek seed extracts had an inhibitory effect. The strongest antiradical activity (ABTS+•–2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) test) was exhibited by horse chestnut seed extract and the weakest by the soapwort root extract. Antioxidant activity strongly positively correlated with the total amount of phenols. Experimental studies showed that the surface properties of saponins present in extracts influence emulsion stabilization and have a moderate stimulating or inhibitory effect on pancreatic lipase activity. Computational studies demonstrated that lipase activity is stimulated by stabilizing an oil emulsion in the case of all studied saponins. Depending on the type of saponin, activation or inhibition of lipase was observed due to the immediate ligand–enzyme interactions.
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Sroka et al. (2025) studied this question.
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