Pancreatic lipase inhibitory alkaloids of Murraya koenigii leaves.

In the continuing search for newer pancreatic lipase inhibitors from plants, a total of 63 extracts from 21 different plants were screened to study their pancreatic lipase (PL) inhibitory activity in vitro. All three extracts (DCM, EtOAc and MeOH) of Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng leaves (Rutaceae) exhibited antilipase activity greater than 80%. Further, bioactivity guided fractionation of the EtOAc extract led to the isolation of four alkaloids, namely mahanimbin, koenimbin, koenigicine and clausazoline-K, with IC50 values of 17.9 microM, 168.6 microM, 428.6 microM and <500 microM, respectively. This study reports for the first time the PL inhibitory potential of carbazole alkaloids from plants.