Identification and Validation of Urea Transporter B Inhibitor from <i>Apium graveolens</i> L. Seeds In Vitro and In Silico

Celery (<i>Apium graveolens</i> L.) seeds are rich in carbohydrates and protein, and they are widely used in diuretic drugs among Uyghur doctors. However, the diuretic mechanism is still unclear. To explore the possible diuretic mechanism of celery seeds, urea transporters, a potential d...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Guanzhong Chen, Xin Li, Xinhui Pan, Li Guo, Wei Wei, Xiaoying Sun, Hongtao Wei, Xue Qin, Ke Zhang, Wei Zhang, Lili Wei, Pinghua Sun, Xiaoda Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/7/1540
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Celery (<i>Apium graveolens</i> L.) seeds are rich in carbohydrates and protein, and they are widely used in diuretic drugs among Uyghur doctors. However, the diuretic mechanism is still unclear. To explore the possible diuretic mechanism of celery seeds, urea transporters, a potential diuresis-related target, are used in this study. Urea transporters (UTs) play a key role of urine concentration. Selective knockout of UTs can concentrate urea without affecting water and electrolytes, resulting in selective diuresis, which is a promising new diuretic target. In the present study, we obtained different polar fractions by extracting and separating celery seed extract, characterized its polar fractions using UPLC-TOF-MS, and verified its action using an erythrocyte lysis model in vitro. Then, it was found that the isovaleric acid <i>p</i>-tolylester exhibited moderate activity (IC<sub>50</sub> = 80.34 μM). Finally, its inhibitory effect on UT-B was investigated by using molecular docking, a pharmacophore model, and molecular dynamics simulations. This study provides a new approach to developing novel diuretics.
ISSN:1420-3049