Diacylglycerol acyltransferase-inhibitory compounds from Erythrina senegalensis.

Inhibition of acyl CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) is proposed to be a drug target for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the CH(2)Cl(2)-soluble extract of the stem bark of Erythrina senegalensis, using an in vitro DGAT enzyme assay, resulted in the isolation of eight known prenylflavonoids, 8-prenylleutone (1), auriculatin (2), erysenegalensein O (3), erysenegalensein D (4), erysenegalensein N (5), derrone (6), alpinumisoflavone (7), and 6,8-diprenylgenistein (8). Compounds 1, 2-4, 6, and 8 inhibited DGAT activity, with IC(50) values ranging from 1.1 +/- 0.3 to 15.1 +/- 1.1 microg/mL. On the basis of the data obtained, we propose isoflavonoids with isoprenyl groups as a novel class of DGAT inhibitors.