Inhibition of α-glucosidase activity and intestinal glucose transport to assess the anti-hyperglycemic potential of dodecyl-acylated phlorizin and polydatin derivatives.

A diet containing natural active compounds that can inhibit the hydrolytic activity of α-glucosidase on carbohydrates and intestinal glucose absorption is an effective means of controlling postprandial hyperglycemia. Phlorizin and polydatin as phenolic glycosides have a high affinity for the catalytic site of α-glucosidase, but exhibited unsatisfactory competitive inhibitory capacity, with an IC of 0.97 and >2 mM, respectively. However, dodecyl-acylated derivatives of phlorizin and polydatin exerted α-glucosidase inhibitory capacity, with an IC of 55.10 and 70.95 μM, respectively, which were greatly enhanced and much stronger than that of acarbose with an IC of 2.46 mM. The SPR assay suggested the high affinity of dodecyl phlorizin and dodecyl polydatin to α-glucosidase with equilibrium dissociation constant () values of 12.0 and 7.9 μM, respectively. Both dodecyl phlorizin and dodecyl polydatin reduced the catalytic ability of α-glucosidase by reversible noncompetitive and uncompetitive mixed inhibition, which bind noncovalently to the allosteric site 2 through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions, thereby inducing the secondary structure unfolding and intrinsic fluorescence quenching of α-glucosidase. Confocal microscopy detection visually showed significant inhibitory effects on FITC-labeled glucose uptake in intestinal Caco-2 cells by phlorizin, polydatin, dodecyl phlorizin and dodecyl polydatin. In addition, based on the differentiated Caco-2 cell monolayer model, dodecyl phlorizin and dodecyl polydatin suppressed intestinal glucose transport more effectively than phlorizin and polydatin, suggesting that they were promising hypoglycemic active compounds.