Phenolic Inhibitors of α-Amylase and Trypsin Enzymes by Extracts From Pears, Lentils, and Cocoa
Inhibition of α-amylase and trypsin by phenolic extracts of various fruit and vegetable foodstuffs (pears [Pyrus communis], lentils [Lens esculenta], and cocoa beans [Theobroma cacao]) was studied. An appropriate methodology for determining the percentage of inhibition of each enzyme was developed. A concomitant study carried out using standard substances (gallic acid, (+)-catechin, tannic acid, and condensed tannins) showed that polymeric phenols were more potent inhibitors than the simple forms, all of them having different behaviors towards the enzymes, depending on their chemical characteristics. The inhibitory potency of the extracts varied according to the phenolic composition of each and was intermediate between that of the simple and that of the more complex phenolic compounds. Inhibition of α-amylase by the phenolic extracts (at equal concentrations) was of the same order of magnitude, even though the phenolic nature and content in the three foodstuffs differed substantially. In contrast, in the case of trypsin, the lentil and cocoa extracts displayed inhibition 10 times greater than that of the pear extract.