Connarus ruber extract, an herbal medicine native to South America prevents glycation intermediate-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro

Abstract

Glycation is the non-enzymatic covalent attachment of a sugar to a protein, lipid, or nucleic acid molecule and is involved in many diseases. During disease onset and progression, it is thought that glycation end products provoke cytotoxicity. Although artificial and natural anti-glycation substances are regarded as preventive agents for glycation-induced toxicity, their properties and mechanism of action are not fully elucidated. In the current study, we focused on Connarus ruber extract, an herbal medicine that is considered effective against chronic diseases, such as diabetes and lipid disorders, and that has anti-glycation activity in vivo. We investigated whether C. ruber extract can prevent glycation-induced cytotoxicity against dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), which are dental tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells. C. ruber extract showed anti-glycation activity in vitro as well as in vivo. C. ruber extract also protected DPSCs from glycation intermediate-mediated cytotoxicity. These results indicate that C. ruber extract is a potent herbal medicine against diseases involving glycation. (J Osaka Dent Univ 2025; 59: 31-35)