Pancreatic lipase inhibitory and anti‐acne activity of Piper betle: Kinetic studies, in silico docking, and chemical characterization of bioactive compounds

Abstract Lipases play important roles in obesity and skin infections. Piper betle (Piperaceae) is widely cultivated and used in daily life. It is a rich source of lead compounds used in skin infections. This study reveals anti‐acne and pancreatic lipase inhibitory potential of leaf extract of Piper betle using in‐vitro and in‐silico molecular docking. The inhibitory potential of 13 selected plant extracts was evaluated at various concentrations (5–25 µg/mL). Ethyl‐acetate extract of Piper betle with strong pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity was further fractionated by preparative thin layer chromatography and eluted bands showing strong inhibitory activity were characterized by high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography. The purified compounds, namely, anodendroside E,2‐monoacetate, and 5H‐cyclopropa (3, 4) benz (1, 2‐ejazulen‐5‐one), were identified and showed over 90% pancreatic lipase inhibition. The isolated compounds showed strong dose‐dependent inhibitory effects on Propionibacterium acnes . These observations were consistent with molecular docking studies, which showed that anodendroside E,2‐monoacetate binds to the allosteric site with a binding energy of –7.0 kcal/mol, and this binding site is stabilized by hydrogen and carbon hydrogen bonds contributed by Phe 354 and Asp 130 , ser 103 . These findings suggest that the pancreatic lipase inhibitory and anti‐acne effects of Piper betle are attributed to anodendroside E,2‐monoacetate.