Inhibition of digestive enzymes by pellets of hop (Humulus lupulus L.)

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants represents a wide field of research in the search for new therapeutic sources for the treatment of obesity, among other diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory potential of the aqueous hop extract (in pellet form) on the digestive enzymes α-amylase, α-glucosidase, lipase and trypsin. An aqueous hop extract (in pellet form) was prepared in the 1:20 ratio (w/v) and used as an inhibitor in enzyme assays, which were performed in the absence and presence of simulated gastric fluid, in order to simulate the digestive process in the stomach in vitro. The effect of temperature on the activity of the inhibitors was also evaluated. In the absence of simulated gastric fluid, there was inhibition of enzymes α-amylase (80.91 ± 1.16%), α-glucosidase (40.96 ± 3.57%) and trypsin (67.48 ± 3.69%), whereas in the presence of simulated gastric fluid the inhibitory capacity of the extract disappeared for α-amylase, had a slight increase for α-glucosidase (44.25 ± 2.81%) and a significant increase for trypsin (89.01 ± 1.45%).  Heat treatment did not alter the inhibitory capacity of the extract. We concluded that the aqueous hop extract has a potential use in the treatment of obesity. However, a more detailed study is still necessary for better understanding its mechanisms of action, which would thus enable future applications in the treatment of this pathology or for several therapeutic purposes.