Accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in diabetes leads to progressive neurodegeneration and development of end stage renal disease. In the present studies,  ribonuclease (5mg/ml) was incubated with methylglyoxal (25 mM) in the presence or absence of  okra seed extract (OSE) at  6 mg/ml in phosphate buffer-saline containing 0.06% sodium azide at 37�C for 7 days. A similar experiment was performed with metformin (25 mM).  Solutions were kept in the dark and incubation was carried out in triplicate.  The formation of AGEs was assessed  by specific fluorescence spectroscopy (excitation at 360 nm and emission at 460 nm). The structural changes induced in RNase were monitored  by Nanodrop spectrophotometry. Results: The accumulation of methylglyoxal-modified ribonuclease  advanced glycation end products was inhibited by 78% by OSE and 82% by metformin. Metformin is the most prescribed drug used for glycemic control in Type-2 diabetes patients. In very rare cases metformin results in lactic acidosis. Our studies show that bioactives present in okra seed extract have the same inhibitory activity as metformin and have not been associated with toxic effects. We believe compounds present in okra seed extract merit investigation for the prevention and treatment of diabetic complications and cardiovascular disease.

Inhibition of the formation of advanced glycation end products from methylglyoxal-modified ribonuclease by okra seed bioactives

247th National Meeting (2014)

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