Evaluation of vanillic acid as inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase isozyme III by using a modified Hummel–Dreyer method: approach for drug discovery

α‐3 carbonic anhydrase isozyme (CAIII) is the most abundant protein in adipocytes and considered insensitive to sulfonamide inhibitors. It was reported recently that the knock‐down of CAIII is attributed with controlling lipogenesis. Thus inhibition of this target may lead to the discovery of new therapies against obesity and insulin resistance. Vanillic acid as a small molecule with coordinating groups and has a potential to bind zinc atoms in CA binding sites. Inhibition of CAIII by vanillic acid was evaluated by Hummel–Dreyer chromatography because it provides free interaction between ligand and macromolecule and introduces solution for faulty results obtained by current colorimetric assays. HPLC system of vanillic acid produces vacancy (negative) peak representing the amount of attached vanillic acid with CAIII. It was found that vanillic acid is able to bind with CAIII through two equilibria, one at equimolar ratio and another at 2:1 (vanillic acid–CAIII) ratio. The affinity constant of equimolar binding between CAIII and vanillic acid was found to be 14,400 m ^?1. It was found that vanillic acid binding with CAIII is much stronger than phenol and acetazolamide (positive controls). Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.