Molecular Docking Studies of Flavonoids of Noni Fruit (Morinda citrifolia L) to Peroxisome

Proliferator-Activated Receptor - Gamma (PPAR)

Fikry Awaluddin,1 Andrianopsyah Mas Jaya Putra,2 Supandi3
1

School of Pharmacy, State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah, Tangerang Selatan 15412, Indonesia
2
Indonesian Institute of Sciences, PUSPITEK Serpong, Tangerang 15314, Indonesia
3
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Muhammadiyah Prof.DR.Hamka, Jalan Limau II, Jakarta 12130, Indonesia
Email: supandi_19@yahoo.co.id

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce
enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces[1]. Morinda
citrifolia has been used by many people as the prevention and treatment of diabetes as well as
health supplements[2]. It contains flavonoids which can act as an antidiabetic agent[3]. One of
the receptors that play a role in the treatment of diabetes is peroxisome proliferator-activated
receptor - gamma (PPAR) which responsible for insulin sensitization in adipose tissue[4].
In this study, the interaction beetween flavonoids in noni fruit (Fig. 1) as ligands, and
PPAR is investigated by using the Autodock Vina software, which is a program that allows
docking of molecular ligand to receptor macromolecules. In this perspective, flavonoids such as
quercetin, kaempferol, nicotifloroside, narcissoside, and rutin were selected. Rosiglitazone, a
known ligand for PPAR was used as the standard. The result revealed that all the selected
flavonoids showed binding energy ranging between -8,1 kcal/mol to -8,5 kcal/mol while
compared with the standard (-8.9 kcal/mol). However, when compared with rosiglitazone, the
value of the binding energy of flavonoids was smaller, but approach rosiglitazone. This suggests
that the flavonoid compounds have potential as antidiabetic agent.

Quercetin

Rosiglitazone Kaempferol

Rutin

Narcissoside

Nicotifloroside

Figure 1. Chemical structure of Rosiglitazone and Flavonoids of Noni fruit.

References
[1] WHO. (2013, October). Diabetes. Retrieved from WHO: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/
[2] Singh, D. R. (2012). Morinda citrifolia L. (Noni): A review of the scientific validation for its nutritional and
therapeutic properties. Journal of Diabetes and Endocrinology Vol. 3.
[3] Pawlus, A. D., & Kinghorn, A. D. (2007). Review of the ethnobotany, chemistry, biological activity and safety of
the botanical dietary supplement Morinda citrifolia (noni). Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology.
[4] Spiegelman, B.M. (1998). PPAR-: Adipogenic Regulator and Thiazolidinedione Receptor. Diabetes, vol. 47.