Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid as potential inhibitors of human salivary α-amylase: insights from in vitro assays and in silico simulations.

It is known that inhibiting α-amylase, an important enzyme in digestion of starch and glycogen, is a useful strategy for treating disorders in carbohydrate uptake. Two natural components distributed in many fruits and plants, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid, are endowed with important pharmacological activities and wide therapeutic possibilities. Until now, only a tiny fraction of their applications have been identified and exploited. Our in vitro inhibition studies demonstrated that oleanolic acid and ursolic acid non-competitively inhibit the activity and function of human salivary α-amylase. The molecular simulations revealed that oleanolic acid and ursolic acid interact with amino acid residues within the binding pocket of human salivary α-amylase, among which the side chain of Arg195 and Asp 197 was supposed to be important in imparting the inhibitory activity of triterpenoids. The present work will provide meaningful information for future development of functional drugs for the treatment of disorders in carbohydrate metabolism. Graphical abstract This work is valuable for providing a deeper insight into the interaction mechanism of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid with α-amylase.