Protein glycation inhibitors from thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 1995 Nov;59(11):2018-21. doi: 10.1271/bbb.59.2018.

Abstract

Nonenzymatic glycation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was inhibited in vitro by some extracts of 34 kinds of spices. The methanol extract of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) had the most potent inhibitory activity among them. Chromatographic purification yielded four flavonoids, quercetin (1), eriodictyol (2), 5,6,4'-trihydroxy-7,8,3'-trimethoxyflavone (3), and cirsilineol (4). These known flavonoids suppressed the levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and fructosamines, shown by the measurement of specific fluorescent groups and the reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT), respectively. The inhibitory activities were compared with those of other structure-related flavonoids and aminoguanidine.

MeSH terms

  • Flavonoids / chemistry
  • Flavonoids / isolation & purification
  • Flavonoids / pharmacology*
  • Glucose / metabolism*
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Magnoliopsida / metabolism*
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine / metabolism*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Flavonoids
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine
  • Glucose