Myricetin and morin hydrate inhibit amyloid fibril formation of bovine α-lactalbumin (BLA)

Amyloid fibrils are self-assembled aggregates of proteins and peptides that can lead to a broad range of diseases called amyloidosis. So far, no definitive and approved treatment to target directly amyloid fibrils has been introduced. Nevertheless, the search for small molecules with ability to inhibit and suppress fibril formation is an active and promising area of the research. Herein, the binding interactions and inhibitory effects of myricetin and morin hydrate on the in vitro fibrillation of bovine α-lactalbumin (BLA) have been investigated. The intrinsic fluorescence of BLA was quenched by myricetin and morin hydrate through combination of the static and dynamic quenching along with non-radiative Förster energy transfer mechanisms. The binding of these two flavonoids to BLA were not accompanied by major alteration in the conformation of BLA as evidenced by CD studies. The results of the fluorescence quenching analyses indicated almost the same binding affinities of myricetin and morin hydrate toward BLA (Kb ~ 106 M−1). However, the results of thioflavin T (ThT) assays showed that myricetin is a stronger inhibitor against BLA fibrillation compared to morin hydrate.