Potent protein glycation inhibition of plantagoside in Plantago major seeds.

Plantagoside (5,7,4',5'-tetrahydroxyflavanone-3'-O-glucoside) and its aglycone (5,7,3',4',5'-pentahydroxyflavanone), isolated from a 50% ethanol extract of Plantago major seeds (Plantaginaceae), were established to be potent inhibitors of the Maillard reaction. These compounds also inhibited the formation of advanced glycation end products in proteins in physiological conditions and inhibited protein cross-linking glycation. These results indicate that P. major seeds have potential therapeutic applications in the prevention of diabetic complications.