Ellisras Longitudinal Study 2017: elevated serum levels of carboxymethyl-lysine, an advanced glycation end-product, are associated with higher odds of developing endothelial dysfunction in black South African patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (ELS 29).

This case-control study investigated the association between major types of serum advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and selected serum/plasma markers of endothelial dysfunction in black patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital. Serum AGEs were measured using either enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or spectrofluoremetry. Serum markers of endothelial dysfunction were measured using either ELISA or calometry. The correlation and associations between major types of serum AGEs and markers of endothelial dysfunction were investigated using the Spearman correlation coefficient and bivariate logistic regression analysis, respectively. Although both serum total immunogenic AGEs and serum carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) were moderately and negatively associated with endothelial dysfunction, only serum CML was significantly associated with a higher odds for the development of endothelial dysfunction (low nitric oxide levels) in our diabetic subjects. It can therefore be concluded from this study that high serum levels of CML may predispose to endothelial dysfunction in black South Africans with type 2 diabetes.

In vitro Antigonorrhea Activity of the Aerial Part of Asparagus suaveolens n-Hexane Fraction and Palmitone as a Bioactive Compound.

Asparagus suaveolens is a medicinal plant used in Lesotho and South Africa to treat epilepsy and gonorrhea. The current investigation identifies the compound responsible for the antiepileptic and antimicrobial properties as palmitone which showed antigonorrhea activities against WHO 2008 Neisseria gonorrhea F and 0 strains more than the standard used, gentamicin. These results support the traditional use of A. suaveolens for treatment of gonorrhea and epilepsy since palmitone is known as an anticonvulsant agent. This is the first study indicating the presence of palmitone in the Asparagus genus and demonstrates the in vitro antigonorrhea activity of palmitone.

Isolation and Chemical Structural Characterisation of a Compound with Antioxidant Activity from the Roots of Senna italica.

Senna italica, a member of the Fabaceae family (subfamily Caesalpiniaceae), is widely used in South African traditional medicine to treat a number of disease conditions. Aqueous extracts of the plant are mainly used to treat sexually transmitted infections and intestinal complications. The roots of S. italica were ground to a fine powder and sequentially extracted with n-hexane, dichloromethane, acetone, and methanol using serial exhaustive extraction (SEE) method. Thin layer chromatography was used to analyse the phytochemical composition of the extracts and DPPH radical scavenging method to detect the presence of antioxidant compounds. The bioassay guided fractionation of the acetone fraction afforded an antioxidant compound with free radical scavenging activity. The isolated compound was subsequently identified as 3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene (resveratrol). This study represents the first report of the stilbene resveratrol in S. italica.