Identification of a novel ACLY inhibitor proanthocyanidin B2 from grape seeds with lipid-lowering effect in vitro

ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) is a crucial enzyme in glycolipid metabolism. To date, only its one prodrug bempedoic acid has been approved. The discovery of direct ACLY inhibitors is important for developing new lipid-lowering drugs. Grape seeds, used in functional foods and medicines, have lipid-lowering efficacy. However, it remains unknown whether their components directly inhibit ACLY. To investigate it, a multi-component screening method was used and proanthocyanidin B2 was identified as a novel ACLY inhibitor with an IC₅₀ value of 2.73 μM. Differential scanning fluorimetry confirmed its directly binding to ACLY. Proanthocyanidin B2 acted as a noncompetitive inhibitor in kinetic studies and bound stably with ACLY in molecular dynamics simulations. In vitro, proanthocyanidin B2 reduced lipid accumulation via inhibiting key transcription factors associated with ACLY. This study revealed a novel ACLY inhibitor contributing to lipid-lowering efficacy of grape seeds and provided a unique scaffold for ACLY drug design.