Publication:

Comparison of dietary agents’ garlic and bitter melon on in vitro glycation and advanced glycation end products formation

Background Protein glycation is a spontaneous post translational modification of proteins by excess sugars causing formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in diabetic individuals and responsible for diabetes complications. Momordica charantia L (bitter melon) and garlic have been used historically for medicinal purposes particularly for treatment of diabetes and cancers and contain potent antioxidant activity hence we planned to compare the antiglycating activities.

Methods Human serum albumin (HSA) was used for in vitro glycation. Various concentrations of extracts of M. charantia L and aged garlic were analyzed.

Results Co-incubation of the M. charantia L and aged garlic extracts with HSA-fructose mixture gives contradictory results in tryptophan fluorescence, AGE specific fluorescence and protein bound carbonyl studies.

Conclusions M. charantia L seems to aggravate sugar mediated glycation of the protein and need further studies to pinpoint specific bioactive compounds responsible for the observed activities whereas aged garlic seems to have strong ant glycation properties.