title: Antiglycation and antioxidation properties of Juglans regia and Calendula officinalis: possible role in reducing diabetic complications and slowing down ageing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the body due to the non-enzymatic glycation of proteins and oxidation is associated with aging and diabetes mellitus. In this study we wanted to investigate the antiglycation and antioxidation potential of two medicinal plants: Juglans regia and Calendula officinalis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In-vitro investigation was carried out to discover the antiglycation and antioxidation potential of J. regia and C. officinalis. Using an Ultraviolet Double-beam Spectrophotometer, we evaluated the antiglycation property of the crude methanolic extracts of J. regia and C. officinalis by assessing their ability to inhibit the Maillard reaction. Employing the same instrument we also measured the antioxidation potential of these plant extracts using the nitric oxide (NO) free radical-scavenging assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  J. regia had greater antiglycation ability, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC50) of 28 microg/mL as compared with that of C. officinalis (270 microg/mL). C. officinalis had greater antioxidation potential (26.10, 22.07 and 16.06% at 0.5 mg, 0.25 mg and 0.125 mg, respectively, as compared with 18.15, 16.50 and 16.06% of J. regia, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  J. regia and C. officinalis inhibited the Maillard reaction and prevented oxidation in-vitro. Hence, the extracts of these plants could have therapeutic uses in curbing chronic diabetic complications and slowing down aging.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Peshawar, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa, Pakistan. haroon29@gmail.com
authors.forename: Haroon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Ibrar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Abdul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wahid
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D020838:Calendula / Q000737:chemistry*; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D006031:Glycosylation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D031324:Juglans / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts