Abstract
The unusual fused β-lactone vibralactone was isolated from cultures of the basidiomycete Boreostereum vibrans and has been shown to significantly inhibit pancreatic lipase. In this study, a structure-based lead optimization of vibralactone resulted in three series of 104 analogs, among which compound C1 exhibited the most potent inhibition of pancreatic lipase, with an IC50 value of 14 nM. This activity is more than 3000-fold higher than that of vibralactone. The effect of compound C1 on obesity was investigated using high-fat diet (HFD)-induced C57BL/6 J obese mice. Treatment with compound C1 at a dose of 100 mg/kg significantly decreased HFD-induced obesity, primarily through the improvement of metabolic parameters, such as triglyceride levels.