<i>In vitro</i> and <i>in silico</i> pancreatic lipase inhibition of <i>Pithecellobium dulce</i> fruit extract

Natural products exhibiting pancreatic lipase inhibition and antioxidant properties offer valuable health benefits, particularly in diseases associated with lipid metabolism. Considering that the primary sources of these beneficial compounds are fruits, this study showed that <i>Pithecellobium dulce</i> exhibited substantial <i>in vitro</i> pancreatic lipase inhibition and antioxidant activity among five fruits of the Brazilian semiarid region fruits (<i>Averrhoa bilimbi</i>, <i>Spondias dulcis</i>, <i>Macadamia integrifolia</i>, <i>Pimenta dioica</i> and <i>Momordica charantia</i>). The chemical investigation of the active extract of <i>Pithecellobium dulce</i> by HPLC-ESI-MSn analysis made it possible to characterise three known flavonoids (astragalin, quercitrin and afzelin) and the docking study of these flavonoids showed effective interaction with the active site of the pancreatic lipase enzyme (PDB ID 1ELM). These findings suggest that flavonoid compounds present in <i>Pithecellobium dulce</i> seem to be responsible for some of its health benefits.