Inhibition of mouse liver sialidase by plant flavonoids.

Flavonoids (103 species) were tested for inhibitory activity against mouse liver sialidase using sodium p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-alpha-D-neuraminate (PNP-NeuAc) as substrate. Isoscutellarein-8-O-glucuronide from the leaf of Scutellaria baicalensis showed most potent activity (IC50, 40 microM), and this flavone appeared to be a non-competitive inhibitor of the enzyme. This flavone inhibited the lysosomal solubilized sialidase against PNP-NeuAc and sialyllactose effectively, but not microsomal enzyme against gangliosides and colominic acid, whereas, negligible or weak inhibitory activities were observed for influenza virus sialidase, beta-galactosidase, alpha-mannosidase, and alpha-glucosidase tested. These results indicate that this flavone may be useful to elucidate the function of the lysosomal solubilized sialidase.