Inhibitory effects of the seeds of Cornus officinalis on AGEs formation and AGEs-induced protein cross-linking

An 80% EtOH extract and the solvent fractions of the seeds of Cornus officinalis were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against advanced glycation end products (AGEs) formation and AGEs-induced protein cross-linking in vitro. In vitro assay for AGEs-bovine serum albumin (BSA) formation showed that the 80% EtOH extract, n-hexane, EtOAc, n-BuOH and water fractions significantly inhibited AGEs formation with observed IC₅₀ values of 1.13, 17.64, 1.52, 1.24 and 3.27 μg/ ml, respectively. In indirect AGEs-ELISA assay, the 80% EtOH extract, EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions exhibited more potent inhibitory activity on AGEs-BSA formation than aminoguanidine, a well know AGEs inhibitor. Furthermore, the 80% EtOH extract and all the solvent fractions inhibited concentration-dependently AGE-BSA cross-linking to collagen. The 80% EtOH extract, EtOAc, n-BuOH and water fractions also had a breaking activity against preformed AGE-BSA cross-linking concentration dependently. Thus these results suggest that the 80% EtOH extract and fractions of the seeds of C. officinalis could be an inhibitor as well as breaker of AGE-BSA cross-linking.