Chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and luteolin from dandelion as urease inhibitors: insights into the molecular interactions and inhibition mechanism

Abstract BACKGROUND Dandelion contains hundreds of active compounds capable of inhibiting urease activity, but the individual compounds have not yet been fully identified, and their effects and underlying mechanisms are not clear. The present study aimed to screen the urease inhibition active compounds of dandelion by urease inhibitory activity evaluation HPLC‐tandem mass spectrometry analysis, their mechanism of urease inhibition by polyphenols was explored using enzyme kinetic studies via Lineweaver‐Burk plots. Other investigations included isothermal titration calorimetry and surface plasmon resonance sensing, fluorescence quenching experiments, and single ligand molecular docking and two‐ligand simultaneous docking techniques. RESULTS The results indicated that the ethyl acetate fraction of dandelion flower exhibited the greatest inhibition (lowest IC 50 0.184 ± 0.007 mg mL −1 ). Chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and luteolin could be effective urease inhibitors that acted in a non‐competitive inhibition manner. Individually, chlorogenic acid could not only fast bind to urease, but also dissociate rapidly, whereas luteolin might interact with urease with the weakest affinity. The chlorogenic acid‐caffeic acid combination exhibited an additive effect in urease inhibition. However, the chlorogenic acid‐luteolin and caffeic acid‐luteolin combinations exhibited antagonistic effects, with the caffeic acid‐luteolin combination showing greater antagonism. CONCLUSION The present study reveals that chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and luteolin are major bioactive compounds for urease inhibition, indicating the molecular mechanisms. The antagonistic effects were observed between luteolin and chlorogenic acid/caffeic acid, and the interactions of the catalytic site and flap may account for the antagonistic effects. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.