Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) have been associated with the micro-vascular complications in diabetes and other progressive age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Glycation alters the protein structure and stability in vivo as a result of high glucose concentrations. Recent studies from our laboratory indicated that okra seed extracts inhibit the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) during the incubation of bovine serum albumin with glucose. Briefly, protein glycation in the absence and presence of Okra seed extracts were prepared by incubating BSA (0.1mg/ml) at 370C with 1M glucose in 0.4mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.4 containing 0.1% sodium azide. Low molecular weight reactants and unbound sugars were removed by extensive dialysis.  The degree of protein glycation was assessed after 90 days by tryptophan fluorescence, AGE-induced cross-linking by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry. Fluorescence spectra (excitation at 360 nm and read at 460nm) of BSA solution with okra seed extracts showed significant inhibitory potential (45-50%) at 0.1mg/ml concentration in a dose dependent manner. Intensity of fluorescence spectra combined with densitometry measurements exhibited 50% inhibition of glycation of BSA with Okra seed extract. We observed the fluorescence emission spectra altered upon glycation when incubated with okra seed extracts in vitro and thus inhibited the advanced glycation end products.  Glycosylation of BSA in the presence of okra seed extracts leads to a change in the conformation of the protein probably due to an increased exposure of tryptophan residues. Thus the bioactive compounds present in Okra Seed Extracts may very well serve the same mechanisms of inhibition in vivo as well.

Studies on bioactive compounds from okra seed extracts: Selective inhibitors of advanced glycation end products

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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