Investigation on the influence of AC electric filed and KCl on the structure and gel properties of Konjac glucomannan.

The influence of alternating current (AC) electric field and KCl on the structure and gel properties of Konjac Glucomannan (KGM) were studied in this work by high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), acid-base titration, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), simultaneous differential scanning calorimetry/thermo gravimetric analyzer (DSC/TGA) and a rheometer. HPGPC showed KGM was degraded by AC electric field and Acid-base titration showed that under the action of AC electric field and KCl KGM removed part of acetyl groups, which were consistent with the analysis of NMR. XRD and temperature sweep measurements respectively showed that the electrotreatment time and KCl concentration had important effects on the gel formation and its three-dimensional network. Simultaneous DSC/TGA and temperature sweep measurements both demonstrated the gel had good thermal stability.

Comparative evaluation of quercetin, isoquercetin and rutin as inhibitors of alpha-glucosidase.

Three flavonoids from tartary buckwheat bran, namely, quercetin (Que), isoquercetin (Iso) and rutin (Rut), have been evaluated as alpha-glucosidase inhibitors by fluorescence spectroscopy and enzymatic kinetics and have also been compared with the market diabetes healer, acarbose. The results indicated that Que, Iso and Rut could bind alpha-glucosidase to form a new complex, which exhibited a strong static fluorescence quenching via nonradiation energy transfer, and an obvious blue shift of maximum fluorescence. The sequence of binding constants (K(A)) was Que > Iso > Rut, and the number of binding sites was one for all of the three cases. The thermodynamic parameters were obtained by calculations based on data of binding constants. They revealed that the main driving force of the above-mentioned interaction was hydrophobic. Enzymatic kinetics measurements showed that all of the three compounds were effective inhibitors against alpha-glucosidase. Inhibitory modes all belonged to a mixed type of noncompetitive and anticompetitive. The sequence of affinity (1/K(i)) was in accordance with the results of binding constants (K(A)). The concentrations which gave 50% inhibition (IC(50)) were 0.017 mmol*L(-1), 0.185 mmol*L(-1) and 0.196 mmol*L(-1), compared with acarbose's IC(50) (0.091 mmol*L(-1)); the dose of acarbose was almost five times of that of Que and half of that of Iso and Rut. Our results explained why the inhibition on alpha-glucosidase of tartary buckwheat bran extractive substance (mainly Rut) was much weaker than that of its hydrolysis product (a mixture of Que, Iso and Rut). This work would be significant for the development of more powerful antidiabetes drugs and efficacious utilization of tartary buckwheat, which has been proved as an acknowledged food in the diet of diabetic patients.