Daisaikoto Extract, a
Kampo medicine listed in the Japanese pharmacopoeia 17th edition, is clinically used to treat
obesity and related symptoms. Lipid metabolism is closely related to
obesity, and pancreatic
lipase inhibitors are therefore regarded as effective for the treatment of
obesity. Although
Daisaikoto has shown promise in the treatment of
obesity, its mechanism of action has yet to be elucidated. In the present study, we found that
Daisaikoto extract inhibits pancreatic
lipase activity in a dose-dependent manner and decreases serum
triglyceride levels in mice. To determine the crude drugs responsible for
lipase inhibition, 8 variants of
Daisaikoto extract without one crude
drug were prepared and evaluated for
lipase inhibitory activity. The
lipase inhibitory activity of the
Daisaikoto extract was reduced by excluding Scutellariae Radix (SR), which was found to inhibit
lipase activity with an IC50 value of 1.70 mg/mL. In conclusion,
Daisaikoto represents a natural medicine, in particular SR, capable of inhibiting pancreatic
lipase and
lipid absorption.