Rapid prediction and identification of lipase inhibitors in volatile oil from Pinus massoniana L. needles

A facile method based on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and molecular docking was established to analyze, identify, and predict lipase inhibitors in volatile oil from Pinus massoniana L. needles (PMLN). The volatile oil, with an IC50 value of 15.25 ± 0.06 μg/mL, exhibited potential inhibitory activity against lipase in vitro. In total, 33 compounds were identified from the volatile oil through GC–MS analysis. The major compounds in the volatile oil were β-pinene (39.24%), α-pinene (14.68%), germacrene D (9.08%), caryophyllene (6.94%), α-terpineol (5.39%), β-phellandrene (4.82%), and D-limonene (3.93%). The identified compounds were individually docked with lipase as the target through molecular docking. Among the compounds, longifolene characterized by preferable binding energy and the good inhibition constant exhibited potential lipase inhibitory activity. The IC50 value of longifolene was 25.10 ± 0.49 μM, indicating that this compound is the active ingredient responsible for the lipase inhibitory activity of PMLN volatile oil.