Abstract
The accumulation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) and oxidative stress underlie the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. In many developing countries, diabetes treatment is unaffordable, and plants such as bitter gourd (or bitter melon; Momordica charantia) are used as traditional remedies because they exhibit hypoglycaemic properties. This study compared the antiglycation and antioxidant properties of aqueous extracts of M. charantia pulp (MCP), flesh (MCF) and charantin in vitro. Lysozyme was mixed with methylglyoxal and 0–15 mg/ml of M. charantia extracts in a pH 7.4 buffer and incubated at 37°C for 3 days. Crosslinked AGEs were assessed using gel electrophoresis, and the carboxymethyllysine (CML) content was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The antioxidant activities of the extracts were evaluated using assays to assess DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, metal-chelating activity and reducing power of the extracts. The phenolic, flavonol and flavonoid content of the extracts were also determined. All extracts inhibited the formation of crosslinked AGEs and CML in a dose-dependent manner, with MCF being the most potent. The antioxidant activity of MCF was higher than that of MCP, but MCP showed the highest metal-chelating activity. MCF had the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents, whereas MCP had the highest flavonol content. M. charantia has hypoglycaemic effects, but this study shows that M. charantia extracts are also capable of preventing AGE formation in vitro. This activity may be due to the antioxidant properties, particularly the total phenolic content of the extracts. Thus, the use of M. charantia deserves more attention, as it may not only reduce hyperglycaemia but also protect against the build-up of tissue AGEs and reduce oxidative stress in patients with diabetes.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus is characterized by hyperglycaemia, and affected patients are prone to longterm complications [1, 2]
The inclusion of M. charantia pulp (MCP), Momordica charantia flesh (MCF) extracts and charantin inhibited the formation of methylgloyoxal derived crosslinked advanced glycation endproduct (AGE) in a dose-dependent manner (Fig 1)
Studies have shown that a range of medicinal plants can reduce AGE formation in vitro, which suggests that such plants could potentially provide protection against the development of such complications [20, 21]
Summary
Diabetes mellitus is characterized by hyperglycaemia, and affected patients are prone to longterm complications [1, 2]. Hyperglycaemia plays a crucial role in the development of these. Momordica charantia and Glycation deviation; SDS-PAGE, sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Protein glycation occurs via a nucleophilic addition reaction between a carbonyl group from a reducing sugar and a free protein amino group, resulting in the formation of freely reversible Schiff bases, which are rapidly rearranged to form more stable Amadori products. In the presence of transition metals and oxygen, glucose and Amadori products undergo autoxidation (autoxidative glycation and glycoxidation, respectively) to form free radicals [3, 4]. The free radicals cause damage to biomolecules in the body [5]
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