From fruit to functional food: Eriobotrya japonica’s potential in managing obesity and Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. (Eriobotrya japonica L.) commonly known as loquat, is a medicinal fruit with rich bioactive compounds that exhibit pharmacological potential. This study explores the anti-obesity and anti-Alzheimer's properties of E. japonica fruit extract through metabolomic profiling, molecular docking, and in vitro assays. Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) identified eight key bioactive compounds. Among them, hyperoside (C6) and afzelin (C8) demonstrated the strongest affinities in molecular docking studies, targeting key enzymes such as HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR) (-9.1 kcal/mol) and Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) (-10.7 kcal/mol). In vitro enzymatic assays confirmed significant inhibitory activities. Afzelin (C8) and Hyperoside (C6) exhibited potent anti-Alzheimer's activity with an EC₅₀ of 26.11 mg/mL, while afzelin had an EC₅₀ of 21.61 mg/mL, comparable to physostigmine (EC₅₀ = 21.48 mg/mL). For anti-obesity effects, hyperoside (C6) showed an EC₅₀ of 25.46 mg/mL, while afzelin (C8) exhibited a more potent effect (EC₅₀ = 21.66 mg/mL), outperforming the commercial inhibitor orlistat (EC₅₀ = 23.14 mg/mL). These findings highlight the potential of E. japonica as a natural source for developing functional food and therapeutic agents targeting obesity and Alzheimer's disease. Further in vivo and clinical investigations are recommended to validate these promising results.