Binding of the pepper alkaloid piperine to bovine β-lactoglobulin:: Circular dichroism spectroscopy and molecular modeling study

The pepper alkaloid piperine is a nontoxic, natural dietary compound with a broad range of physiological activity. The present work is the first demonstration of its interaction with a mammalian protein. Circular dichroism (CID) spectroscopy was used to reveal and analyze the binding of piperine to a lipocalin protein. Induced CID spectra measured in pH 7.7 phosphate buffer at 37 degrees C demonstrated reversible, non-covalent association of piperine with bovine beta-lactoglobulin (BL-G), the major whey protein in milk. The binding parameters (K-a approximate to 8 x 10(4) M-1, n = 0.8) determined from the CID titration data showed no significant differences between the piperine binding properties of the two main genetic variants of BLG (A and B). The vanishing extrinsic CID signal obtained upon acidification of the piperine-BLG sample solution (Tanford transition) suggested that the ligand binds in the central hydrophobic cavity of the beta-barrel. The cavity binding concept was further supported by a CID displacement experiment using palmitic acid, the well-known hydrophobic ligand of BLG. Molecular docking calculations showed that piperine can be efficiently accommodated within the calyx of BLG. Additional molecular modeling calculations indicated that the beta-barrel of human tear lipocalin, human serum retinol binding protein, and human neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin might also accommodate a piperine molecule.