title: Decreased expression of alpha-2-HS glycoprotein in the sera of rats treated with Eurycoma longifolia extract.
abstract: Eurycoma longifolia is a Malaysian native herb that has been widely used as an aphrodisiac and a remedy for andropause. Although the physiological effects of the plant extract were predicted as a result of the alterations in protein expression, the key protein(s) involved in these alterations are still unclear. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of standardized E. longifolia extract on serum protein expression up to 28 days following oral administration in rats. Serum protein profiles were analyzed by 2-dimensional electrophoresis, and altered proteins were identified via mass spectrometry. We observed that alpha-2-HS glycoprotein (AHS) was significantly decreased in the serum of experimentally treated rats compared to pre-treated animals. Moreover, reduction in AHS was confirmed using competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. AHS expression is known to be associated with insulin resistance and diabetes. Our data indicated that serum AHS was reduced in rats treated with standardized E. longifolia extract, and therefore form a prelude for further investigation into the effects of this natural extract in animal models involving infertility and diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ; Oral Cancer Research and Coordinating Centre, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Yeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Wai-Mei
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Phang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Alan K-W
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.affiliation: Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Choon-Keat
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia Pulau Pinang, Malaysia ; School of Medicine, Taylor's University Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Bin-Seng
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Low
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Sreenivasan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasidharan
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kit-Lam
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Chan
keywords: 2-dimensional electrophoresis; Eurycoma longifolia; alpha-2-HS glycoprotein; mouse model; plant extract