Methylglyoxal - An emerging biomarker for diabetes mellitus diagnosis and its detection methods.

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is one among the supreme metabolic issues observed in history since 3000 BCE and has gained much interest recently due to the increasing number of diabetic cases every year. Glucose is considered as the most iconic biomarker for diabetes detection, and fluctuations in its levels are related to different stages of DM. However, methylglyoxal (MG) is evolving as a diabetes marker since it plays a significant role in biological processes Apart from DM, MG causes several metabolic irregularities like hypertension, neuropathy, nephropathy, oxidative stress. Besides, MG is a predominant precursor of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which result in protein dysfunction, glycation of vascular tissues and aging. In this background, detection of MG has much importance, and the design of smart models is desirable. MG formation, detoxification, and its glycation effects have paved the way for the development of detection strategies which are described in detail here. The direct and indirect methods of MG measurement have been established in the past. At present, techniques like high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, capillary electrophoresis, electrochemical biosensors have been used to quantify MG present in the samples. Here, we have tried to correlate the function of MG and detection strategies to explain the major challenges posed towards implementation of easy, efficient and accurate standardization.

Unique fluorescence and high-molecular weight characteristics of protein isolates from manuka honey (Leptospermum scoparium).

This study compared the fluorescence properties (λex/em=350/450nm) and molecular size of proteins from manuka and non-manuka honey. The fluorescence characteristics of non-manuka and manuka proteins differ markedly, whereby manuka honey protein fluorescence increases with increasing methylglyoxal (MGO) content of the honey. It was concluded that manuka honey proteins are modified due to MGO-derived glycation and crosslinking reactions, thus resulting in fluorescent structures. The molecular size of honey proteins was studied using size exclusion chromatography. Manuka honey proteins contain a significantly higher amount of high molecular weight (HMW) fraction compared to non-manuka honey proteins. Moreover, HMW fraction of manuka honey proteins was stable against reducing agents such as dithiothreitol, whereas HMW fraction of non-manuka honey proteins was significantly decreased. Thus, the chemical nature of manuka honey HMW fraction is probably covalent MGO crosslinking, whereas non-manuka HMW fraction is caused by disulfide bonds. Storage of a non-manuka honey, which was artificially spiked with MGO and DHA, did not induce above mentioned fluorescence properties of proteins during 84days of storage. Hence, MGO-derived fluorescence and crosslinking of honey proteins can be useful parameters to characterize manuka honey.

Glyoxal and methylglyoxal as urinary markers of diabetes. Determination using a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction procedure combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Glyoxal (GO) and methylglyoxal (MGO) are α-oxoaldehydes that can be used as urinary diabetes markers. In this study, their levels were measured using a sample preparation procedure based on salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction (SALLE) and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The effect of the derivatization reaction with 2,3-diaminonaphthalene, the addition of acetonitrile and sodium chloride to urine, and the DLLME step using the acetonitrile extract as dispersant solvent and carbon tetrachloride as extractant solvent were carefully optimized. Quantification was performed by the internal standard method, using 5-bromo-2-chloroanisole. The intraday and interday precisions were lower than 6%. Limits of detection were 0.12 and 0.06ngmL-1, and enrichment factors 140 and 130 for GO and MGO, respectively. The concentrations of these α-oxoaldehydes in urine were between 0.9 and 35.8ngg-1 levels (creatinine adjusted). A statistical comparison of the analyte contents of urine samples from non-diabetic and diabetic patients pointed to significant differences (P=0.046, 24 subjects investigated), particularly regarding MGO, which was higher in diabetic patients. The novelty of this study compared with previous procedures lies in the treatment of the urine sample by SALLE based on the addition of acetonitrile and sodium chloride to the urine. The DLLME procedure is performed with a sedimented drop of the extractant solvent, without a surfactant reagent, and using acetonitrile as dispersant solvent. Separation of the analytes was performed using GC-MS detection, being the analytes unequivocal identified. The proposed procedure is the first microextraction method applied to the analysis of urine samples from diabetic and non-diabetic patients that allows a clear differentiation between both groups using a simple analysis.

Identification of methylglyoxal as a major mutagen in wood and bamboo pyroligneous acids.

To identify the major mutagen in pyroligneous acid (PA), 10 wood and 10 bamboo pyroligneous acids were examined using the Ames test in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA100 and TA98. Subsequently, the mutagenic dicarbonyl compounds (DCs), glyoxal, methylglyoxal (MG), and diacetyl in PA were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography, and the mutagenic contribution ratios for each DC were calculated relative to the mutagenicity of PA. Eighteen samples were positive for mutagens and showed the strongest mutagenicity in TA100 in the absence of S9 mix. MG had the highest mutagenic contribution ratio, and its presence was strongly correlated with the specific mutagenicity of PA. These data indicate that MG is the major mutagen in PA.

Anti-HIV-1 activity of eight monofloral Iranian honey types.

Monofloral Iranian honeys from eight floral sources were analyzed to determine their anti-HIV-1 activities as well as their effects on lymphocyte proliferation. The Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) used in this study were prepared from five healthy volunteers who were seronegative for HIV, HCV, HBV and TB. The anti-HIV-1 activity of eight different honeys was performed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and high pure viral nucleic acid kit. The results demonstrated that monofloral honeys from Petro selinum sativum, Nigella sativa, Citrus sinensis, Zataria multiflora, Citrus aurantium and Zizyphus mauritiana flowers had potent anti-HIV-1 activity with half maximal effective concentration (EC50) values of 37.5, 88, 70, 88, 105 and 5 µg/ml respectively. However, monofloral Iranian honeys from Astragalus gummifer and Chamaemelum nobile flowers had weak anti-HIV-1 activity. The frequency and intensity of CD4 expression on PBMCs increased in the presence of all honey types. CD19 marker were also increased after the treatment with monofloral honeys from Z. multiflora and N. sativa. The anti-HIV-1 agent in monofloral honeys from P. sativum, N. sativa, Z. multiflora and Z. mauritiana flowers was detected by spectroscopic analysis as methylglyoxal. Time of drug addition studies demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of methylglyoxal is higher on the late stage of HIV-1 infection. The result demonstrated that methylglyoxal isolated from monofloral honey types is a good candidate for preclinical evaluation of anti-HIV-1 therapies.

A new sensitive method for the quantification of glyoxal and methylglyoxal in snow and ice by stir bar sorptive extraction and liquid desorption-HPLC-ESI-MS.

In this study, the development of a new sensitive method for the analysis of alpha-dicarbonyls glyoxal (G) and methylglyoxal (MG) in environmental ice and snow is presented. Stir bar sorptive extraction with in situ derivatization and liquid desorption (SBSE-LD) was used for sample extraction, enrichment, and derivatization. Measurements were carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS). As part of the method development, SBSE-LD parameters such as extraction time, derivatization reagent, desorption time and solvent, and the effect of NaCl addition on the SBSE efficiency as well as measurement parameters of HPLC-ESI-MS/MS were evaluated. Calibration was performed in the range of 1-60 ng/mL using spiked ultrapure water samples, thus incorporating the complete SBSE and derivatization process. 4-Fluorobenzaldehyde was applied as internal standard. Inter-batch precision was <12 % RSD. Recoveries were determined by means of spiked snow samples and were 78.9 ± 5.6 % for G and 82.7 ± 7.5 % for MG, respectively. Instrumental detection limits of 0.242 and 0.213 ng/mL for G and MG were achieved using the multiple reaction monitoring mode. Relative detection limits referred to a sample volume of 15 mL were 0.016 ng/mL for G and 0.014 ng/mL for MG. The optimized method was applied for the analysis of snow samples from Mount Hohenpeissenberg (close to the Meteorological Observatory Hohenpeissenberg, Germany) and samples from an ice core from Upper Grenzgletscher (Monte Rosa massif, Switzerland). Resulting concentrations were 0.085-16.3 ng/mL for G and 0.126-3.6 ng/mL for MG. Concentrations of G and MG in snow were 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than in ice core samples. The described method represents a simple, green, and sensitive analytical approach to measure G and MG in aqueous environmental samples.

Electrochemical determination of methylglyoxal as a biomarker in human plasma.

A novel electrochemical approach for the quantitative analysis of methylglyoxal as a biomarker in human plasma has been developed. An electrochemical sensor employing a single walled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode for the sensitive detection of methylglyoxal is delineated for the first time using square wave voltammetry. This modified electrode exhibits potent and sustained electron-mediating behavior and a well-defined reduction peak in response to methylglyoxal was observed. Under optimized experimental conditions, a wide linear dynamic range, from 0.1 to 100 µM, and high sensitivity of 76.3 nA µM⁻¹ were achieved for the detection of methylglyoxal. The interfering effect of common coexisting metabolites in human whole blood has also been investigated. The developed assay was shown to be specific and sensitive for the analysis of plasma levels of methylglyoxal in healthy volunteer and diabetic patients.

Development and validation of a selective HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the quantification of glyoxal and methylglyoxal in atmospheric aerosols (PM2.5).

This study concerns the development and validation of a complete method for the analysis of two highly reactive α-dicarbonyl compounds, glyoxal (Gly) and methylglyoxal (Mgly), in atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)). Method development included optimization of sample preparation procedures, e.g., filter extraction, concentration of extracts, derivatization and solid-phase extraction (SPE) of derivatives, as well as reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ion-trap mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-IT/MS/MS) measurement parameters. Selectivity of detection was enhanced using tandem mass spectrometric analysis in ESI positive ion mode via two multiple reaction monitoring channels, m/z 433 → m/z 250 and m/z 419 → m/z 236 for Mgly and Gly. Retention times were 9.5 and 12.5 min for Gly- and Mgly-bis-hydrazone derivatives. Calibration ranged from 0.5 to 50 ng/mL. Inter-batch precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, was <15%. The method was shown to be unaffected by the sample matrix and to have recoveries of 100% and 60% for Gly and Mgly, respectively. Improved instrumental detection limits of 0.51 and 0.62 ng/mL for Gly and Mgly were achieved using a SPE method for the purification of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine derivatization reagent solutions. This permitted the method to be used for analysis of filter samples obtained during a field study at the Taunus Observatory (mount Kleiner Feldberg, Germany). PM(2.5) concentrations ranged from 0.81 to 1.18 ng/m(3) for Gly and from 0.83 to 1.92 ng/m(3) for Mgly. PM concentrations correlated to the concentration of NO with coefficients (R(2)) of 0.67 (Gly) and 0.78 (Mgly).

Stilbene glucoside from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.: a novel natural inhibitor of advanced glycation end product formation by trapping of methylglyoxal.

Methylglyoxal (MGO), the reactive dicarbonyl intermediate generated during the nonenzymatic glycation between reducing sugars and amino groups of proteins, lipids, and DNA, is the precursor of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Many studies have shown that AGEs play a major pathogenic role in diabetes and its complications. This study found that 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene 2-O-beta-D-glucoside (THSG), the major bioactive compound from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb., can efficiently inhibit the formation of AGEs in a dose-dependent manner by trapping reactive MGO under physiological conditions (pH 7.4, 37 degrees C). More than 60% MGO was trapped by THSG within 24 h, which was much more effective than resveratrol and its methylated derivative, pterostilbene, the two major bioactive dietary stilbenes. The major mono- and di-MGO adducts of THSG were successfully purified and found to be mixtures of tautomers. LC-MS and NMR data showed that positions 4 and 6 of the A ring were the major active sites for trapping MGO. It was also found that THSG could significantly inhibit the formation of AGEs in the human serum albumin (HSA)-MGO assay and both mono- and di-MGO adducts of THSG were detected in this assay using LC-MS. The results suggest that the ability of THSG to trap reactive dicarbonyl species makes it a potential natural inhibitor of AGEs.

Isolation and determination of alpha-dicarbonyl compounds by RP-HPLC-DAD in green and roasted coffee.

Glyoxal, methylglyoxal, and diacetyl formed as Maillard reaction products in heat-treated food were determined in coffee extracts (coffee brews) obtained from green beans and beans with different degrees of roast. The compounds have been reported to be mutagenic in vitro and genotoxic in experimental animals in a number of papers. More recently, alpha-dicarbonyl compounds have been implicated in the glycation process. Our data show that small amounts of glyoxal and methylglyoxal occur naturally in green coffee beans. Their concentrations increase in the early phases of the roasting process and then decline. Conversely, diacetyl is not found in green beans and forms later in the roasting process. Therefore, light and medium roasted coffees had the highest glyoxal and methylglyoxal content, whereas dark roasted coffee contained smaller amounts of glyoxal, methylglyoxal, and diacetyl. For the determination of coffee alpha-dicarbonyl compounds, a reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (RP-HPLC-DAD) method was devised that involved the elimination of interfering compounds, such as chlorogenic acids, by solid phase extraction (SPE) and their derivatization with 1,2-diaminobenzene to give quinoxaline derivatives. Checks of SPE and derivatization conditions to verify recovery and yield, respectively, resulted in rates of 100%. The results of the validation procedure showed that the proposed method is selective, precise, accurate, and sensitive.

Determination of glyoxal and methylglyoxal in environmental and biological matrices by stir bar sorptive extraction with in-situ derivatization.

Stir bar sorptive extraction with in-situ derivatization using 2,3-diaminonaphthalene (DAN) followed by liquid desorption and high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (SBSE(DAN)in-situ-LD-HPLC-DAD) was developed for the determination of glyoxal (Gly) and methylglyoxal (MGly) in environmental and biological matrices. DAN proved very good specificity as in-situ derivatising agent for Gly and MGly in aqueous media, allowing the formation of adducts with remarkable sensitivity, selectivity and the absence of photodegradation. Assays performed on spiked (1.0 microg L(-1)) water samples, under convenient experimental conditions, yielded recoveries of 96.2+/-7.9% for Gly and 96.1+/-6.4% for MGly. The analytical performance showed good accuracy, suitable precision (<12.0%), low detection limits (15 ng L(-1) for Gly and 25 ng L(-1) for MGly adducts) and excellent linear dynamic ranges (r2>0.99) from 0.1 to 120.0 microg L(-1). By using the standard addition method, the application of the present method to tap and swimming-pool water, beer, yeast cells suspension and urine samples allowed very good performance at the trace level. The proposed methodology proved to be a feasible alternative for routine quality control analysis, showing to be easy to implement, reliable, sensitive and with a low sample volume requirement to monitor Gly and MGly in environmental and biological matrices.

Mutagenicity of methylglyoxal in coffee.

Major carbonyl compounds from a extract of ground roasted coffee beans were identified as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, acetol, glyoxal, methylglyoxal and diacetyl. Among these carbonyl compounds, methylglyoxal showed considerable mutagenic activity toward Salmonella typhimurium TA100 without S9 mix (around 100,000 revertants/mg). More than 50% of the total mutagenic activity of coffee can be accounted for by the activity of methylglyoxal.

Isolation of methylglyoxal synthase from goat liver.

An enzyme fraction which specifically catalyzes the formation of methylglyoxal from dihydroxyacetone phosphate has been isolated and partially purified from goat liver. The enzyme fraction appears to be substantially free from glyoxalase I, reduced glutathione, and triosephosphate isomerase. Approximately equimolar quantities of methylglyoxal and inorganic phosphate were obtained from dihydroxyacetone phosphate. Formation of methylglyoxal was confirmed by colorimetric and enzymatic estimations as well as by paper chromatography and its spectrum. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, dihydroxyacetone, and glyceraldehyde, failed to act as substrates. The enzyme is inhibited by some phosphorylated compounds and inorganic phosphates.

Isolation of methylglyoxal from liver.

Acetaldehyde and methylglyoxal were shown to be present in liver bound to protein. They were isolated in the form of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones and osazones, respectively. The NMR spectrum of pure methylglyoxal was recorded.