The potent inhibitors of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B from the fruits of Melaleuca leucadendron

Background:Melaleuca leucadendron (Myrtaceae) is a kind of fruit used as Indonesian medicinal component and recorded in Jamu (tonic made of medical herbs) prescription records for the diabetes treatment. Its methanol extract exhibited a strong inhibitory activity with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 2.05 g/mL, while it is the same value with positive control RK-682. Objective: To isolate the chemical constituents of M. leucadendron and to evaluate their activity against protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B). Further, determine their toxicity potential against T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TCPTP). Materials and Methods: Methanol extract was fractionated using silica column chromatography, and the obtained fraction was purified using Sephadex 20-LH. The structure of isolated compounds was identified based on H-1 and (13)Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometry. Furthermore, the compounds were examined against PTP1B and TCPTP. Results: Methanol extract of M. leucadendron (Myrtaceae) afforded two triterpenes: Betulinic acid and ursolic acid in high quantities. Both compounds exhibited a strong inhibitory activity against PTP1B inhibition with IC50value of 1.5 and 2.3 g/mL, respectively (positive control RK-682, IC50 =2.05 g/mL). Their activity toward TCPTP, on the other hand, were at 2.4 and 3.1 g/mL, respectively. Based on this purification work, betulinic acid and ursolic acid presented 7.6% and 2.4%, respectively, as markedly M. leucadendron most potential for betulinic acid source among Indonesian plants. The result should have demonstrated that the antidiabetes of M. dendron could be through the inhibition of PTP1B.