Stilbene glucoside from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.: a novel natural inhibitor of advanced glycation end product formation by trapping of methylglyoxal.

Methylglyoxal (MGO), the reactive dicarbonyl intermediate generated during the nonenzymatic glycation between reducing sugars and amino groups of proteins, lipids, and DNA, is the precursor of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Many studies have shown that AGEs play a major pathogenic role in diabetes and its complications. This study found that 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene 2-O-beta-D-glucoside (THSG), the major bioactive compound from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb., can efficiently inhibit the formation of AGEs in a dose-dependent manner by trapping reactive MGO under physiological conditions (pH 7.4, 37 degrees C). More than 60% MGO was trapped by THSG within 24 h, which was much more effective than resveratrol and its methylated derivative, pterostilbene, the two major bioactive dietary stilbenes. The major mono- and di-MGO adducts of THSG were successfully purified and found to be mixtures of tautomers. LC-MS and NMR data showed that positions 4 and 6 of the A ring were the major active sites for trapping MGO. It was also found that THSG could significantly inhibit the formation of AGEs in the human serum albumin (HSA)-MGO assay and both mono- and di-MGO adducts of THSG were detected in this assay using LC-MS. The results suggest that the ability of THSG to trap reactive dicarbonyl species makes it a potential natural inhibitor of AGEs.